The Roanoke Colony was the first attempt by England to establish a permanent settlement in North America.

The colony was sponsored by Sir Walter Raleigh and was established on Roanoke Island, off the coast of modern-day North Carolina.

An initial colony was established in 1585 but was abandoned.

A second group of colonists was sent in 1587, led by Governor John White.

Shortly after their arrival, White's granddaughter, Virginia Dare, became the first English child born in the Americas.

John White sailed back to England for supplies but was delayed for three years by the war between England and Spain.

When he finally returned to Roanoke in 1590, he found the settlement completely deserted.

The only clue to the fate of the colonists was the word 'CROATOAN' carved into a post.

'Croatoan' was the name of a nearby island and a local Native American tribe.

The fate of the 'Lost Colony' has never been definitively solved, with theories ranging from assimilation into a local tribe to massacre or starvation.