Around how long ago did the first farmers arrive in Britain?

Agriculture in Britain didn't just spring up overnight; it was a gradual process that transformed the landscape and way of life. Before farming, people were hunter-gatherers, moving around to find food. Around 6,000 years ago, during the Neolithic period, the first farmers arrived, bringing with them seeds and domesticated animals. This marked a huge shift! They started clearing land to grow crops like wheat and barley and raise animals like sheep and cattle. Now, while people were present in Britain much earlier – even 15,000 years ago after the last Ice Age – they weren't farmers. Two thousand years ago is also incorrect because that places us firmly in Roman Britain, long after farming was well established. So, the arrival of the first farmers approximately 6,000 years ago is the key moment when agriculture took root in Britain, changing the course of its history.