Simplify the following text for a Grade 9 native English-speaking person.
Original: The Romans attempted to drain the marshland by digging the ditch that runs north through what is now known as the Ladygrove area north of the town near Long Wittenham .
Simplified: During the Roman Empire the Romans digged a ditch that runs north through what is now known as the Ladygrove area north of the town near Long Wittenham .