Stewart Ainsworth's view

Landscape archaeologist Stewart Ainsworth is keen to point out the site of a natural spring very near the town: 'There is a natural spring on the north of the town and these sites were very popular for pagan worship and important sites in the Iron Age. Perhaps this area was an important religious centre in the Iron Age before the Roman town developed. It's very common for the Romans to inherit ancient gods as a way of Romanising the local populace. Viridios is only known in Ancaster so perhaps he was a local deity with some history.'

'It's certainly not uncommon for the Romans to adopt local gods into their own pantheon,' agrees Mick Aston.