The Brigantes were the major Celtic tribe in what is now Northern England;
they had a stronghold in the locality at a sandstone outcrop on which
Manchester Cathedral now stands, opposite the banks of the River Irwell. Their
territory extended across the fertile lowland of what is now Salford and
Stretford. Following the Roman conquest of Britain in the 1st century, General
Agricola ordered the construction of a Roman fort named Mamucium in the year 79
to ensure that Roman interests in Deva Victrix (Chester) and Eboracum (York)
were protected from the Brigantes. Central Manchester has been permanently
settled since
