This thesis comprises an analysis and reinterpretation of rural settlements in Wales and the Marches during the Roman period. While the rural settlements of this region have often used as a backdrop to the study of the military, this thesis seeks to refocus and move beyond a simplistic Roman/native opposition in order to present a more nuanced understanding of the nature and development of rural settlement during this period. Data from the Rural Settlement of Roman Britain Project is used to explore the distribution of settlements and material culture to analyse the regional diversity, economic basis, and social practice of rural settlements. A methodology for the analysis of regional ceramic assemblages is also presented to supplement the Rural Settlement of Roman Britain Project data and offers a new perspective on the distribution of and engagement with ceramics at rural sites. Patterns of settlement and engagement with material culture are highly regional and are influenced by multiple factors, including geography, military intervention, and personal agency. The evidence presented within this thesis shows a diversity of rural responses and demonstrates that, far from being a homogenous region peripheral to the materially richer areas to the east, the situation in Wales and the Marches was far more diverse and dynamic than previous work has suggested.