missionaries from gaul began to introduce christianity to the west country. before the end of the first century ad they had a church of celtic christianity. this spread such that by the mid second century much of cornwall, devon, western dorset, and south somerset had adopted christianity. the spread of christianity continued eastward and strongly northward into wales through the next two centuries, especially after the adoption of christianity by rome. the romans had built shrines and temples to their pagan gods and continued to patronize these, even after the adoption of christianity by rome.