Evidence for human habitation in Britain dating back to 800 000 years ago has been found in East Anglia, in the form of simple stone tools and in Happisburgh, Norfolk, fossilised footprints.
These humans were probably Homo antecessor (pioneer man), likely to be a common ancestor of both Homo neanderthalensis (neanderthals) and Homo sapiens (modern humans). Britain was then a peninsula of mainland Europe.
Reference:
Britain, One Million Years of the Human Story, Dinnis, R. & Stringer, C. - Natural History Museum
