Roman roads in Britain Roman roads in Britain Wheeldale Roman Road, North York Moors When the Romans began their conquest of Celtic Britain in 43AD, they found a haphazard collection of roads and paths, most connecting local fields and hamlets, but also some longer distance trade routes (e.g. along the North Downs in Kent, and the Icknield Way along the Chilterns into Norfolk). The Roman administration, however, needed a better network of roads to connect its new towns and army posts and to speed the flow of both trade goods and troops. In building their network of roads the Romans mostly ignored the Celtic paths, partly because the Roman towns and forts were built on new sites away from the Celtic settlements. The most vital priority was the movement of troops and supplies from the channel ports of Richborough, Dover, and Lympne to the military centres at London, Colchester, and the front-line legionary forts. The first frontier was set up along a road extending from Exeter to Lincoln, running through Bath, Gloucester, and Leicester. This was known as the Fosse Way, the first great Roman road in Britain. The Fosse Way has been largely adapted by modern highways.

The next military push established a new frontier between Lincoln and York, Wroxeter and Chester, and Gloucester and Caerleon. After these "front-line" roads had been established. The Romans turned their attention to expanding the network of minor roads within their new possessions, to better aid the flow of trade. By 82AD the Romans had pushed north as far as a line between the Clyde and the Firth of Forth. During this campaign alone the army built over 60 forts and over 1200 miles of roads. The imperial posting service, used by Roman officials, maintained inns and relays of horses at intervals of 30 to 50 kilometres along the roads. The minor roads (sometimes called "economic roads") were also built by the Roman army to link economic centres, such as the Mendip lead mines and the Nene potteries, with administrative capitals like Silchester, and the coastal ports. At a best guess there were between 8000-10,000 miles of roads constructed during the first hundred years of Roman occupation. There was a third level of roads at the local level, connecting villas, temples, farms, and villages to larger roads and market towns.

The full extent of this road building is apparent when you consider that according estimates by historians, no village or farm was more than 7 miles from a purpose-built road! It is a fallacy to think that Roman roads are always straight. The Roman engineers were no fools - if there was a natural obstacle in the way, the road naturally deviated to go around it. That said, for the most part Roman roads were laid out in straight lines between sighting landmarks. Small hills were cut through, and wet ground covered by causeways, or timber embankments. So, how did the Romans build these famous roads of theirs? The roads were literally highways, raised up on a cambered bank of material dug from roadside ditches. In general there were 3 layers. The first layer of large stones was covered by a second layer of smaller stones, then a top layer of gravel or small stones. Each layer varied in depth from 2-12 inches. Cross-section of a Roman road showing the layering technique and outer dirches The choice of material depended upon what was locally available; in the chalk areas like the Wessex Downs a mix of chalk, flint, and gravel was used.

The paved area was edged with upright stones to provide stability, and the major roads had ditches to each side, about 84 feet apart. Tracing the course of Roman roads can be a fun activity. Large scale maps help, as does the excellent Ordnance Survey map of Roman Britain. Almost any straight stretch of road is a candidate, and often the roads follow parish boundaries or hedges. The best unaltered examples of Roman roads in Britain today exist at Wheeldale Moor (North Yorkshire), Holtye (Sussex), and Blackstone Edge (near Littleborough, Greater Manchester). A clue to the existence of former Roman roads is the prefix "street", as in Streatley, or Streatham. More: Roman Road Roaming - Alastair Humphreys Roman Road Roaming If the critical ingredients of an adventure are to go somewhere new and be curious then a “microadventure” can be found anywhere, even in rural Britain with only a few days to spare. Long before the mesh of rolling English roads developed the Romans were striding in famously straight lines across our land.

The Fosse Way was their longest, stretching from Isca Dumnoniorum to Lindum Colonia, or Exeter to Lincoln as we now know them. I decided to explore some of it, on foot, at the pace of a Roman soldier. I would carry little more than a cooking pan, a sleeping bag, and a few maps. Where the Fosse Way has evolved over 2000 years into large, modern roads I would follow my nose cross-country until I found another off-road segment. Read Comments You might also like Microadventure on Britain’s longest Roman Road As part of my quest to find microadventure in Britain I set out to walk from Exeter to the source of the Thames following the route of the Fosse Way, the longest Roman road in Britain.... Roman Roads I can’t even remember what I was looking for on Google when I came across this map of the road system in the Roman Empire. Pretty impressive and some great potential for bike journeys.... Source to Sea I love the sources of rivers. I grew up near one in Yorkshire.

I’ve visited a few in the last couple of years (Thames, Markafjlot, Kaveri, Pjorsa), and I reckon there’s few simpler ways of finding yourself a fascinating journey […]... The Tricky Final Slide I give a lot of talks. Lots of slides. Lots of images. Lots of different venues and types of talk. One thing about giving talks remains constant: your final slide is important. It’s up on the screen when the audience […]... Can and Cannot – and Dealing with the Difference You can take steps so that you are not late for catching a crucial flight. You cannot do anything about a railway strike creating a perfect storm of M25 traffic hell on an already chokka Monday morning. You can book a […]... Tools of Titans I have a love-hate relationship with Tim Ferriss. I’ve followed his musings on self-improvement, ‘lifestyle design’, and getting shit done for years. I have always been half in awe at what he does well (book promoting, network building, living efficiently) […]...

h2g2 - Roman Roads In Britain Today - Edited Entry Roman Roads In Britain Today Content from the guide to life, the universe and everything Roman Roads In Britain Today Created Watling Street | The Fosse Way | Ermine Street | Stane Street | Roman Roads Today We are fortunate to have so much of the Roman road network left in Britain. Of the roads that we know of (there are about 80% 1 that can be traced) the original main routes through, can be traced with some certainty by their alignment. Large parts of the less well-known roads have been lost due to ploughing out, or development. Some roads near rivers or in areas with soft ground may have simply been absorbed by the landscape. So the course of some roads have had to be reconstructed form the route of ancient lanes and rights of way. Also paths through old woodlands (bridle paths often called rides in old documents) and sections such as the Roman Iter II route (better known by its Anglo-Saxon name, Watling Street) which now form major roads today (in this case the A5) have been used to reconstruct the route.

Placenames can often provide a clue as well as the archaeological records of the area and this often enables us to piece together the route. There is no doubt that there was a network of smaller roads, tracks and service ways that have been lost without hope of recovery. The evidence that we do have is also locked in the landscape; this can be revealed by the study of field boundaries, ancient hedgerows, monuments and the position of isolated settlements. The best way to trace the route of the road over today's landscape is with a map as you read the Entry. Watling Street Watling Street : from Dover or Richborough to Leintwardine and from Stone Street to Caerleon on Usk From Richborough to Canterbury the modern A257 is the closest route to Watling Street. Dover to Canterbury follows the A2 and then the A2050, but both roads are far from direct and loop widely to either side of the original route. From Canterbury the unclassified road Church Hill and Faulkners Lane follow closest to the Roman route. Cross the A2050 east of Upper Harbeldown and join the road named Roman Road.

This passes through Upper Harbeldown and joins the A2 which continues to Ospringe and Faversham. From the junction A2 and A299, Watling Street is known as the A2 Canterbury Road and leaves Faversham as the London Road. It passes through Sittingbourne as the A2 and the road skirts town the line of the road preserved in High Street and East Street. Watling Street continues as the A2, passing out of the town through Keycol Village. The road continues as the A2 until the A278 junction near Chatham is known for a brief stretch as Watling Street as it passes through Rochester The A5 has various names but crosses the Medway River as High Street. The A2 leaves Rochester as Watling Street, but when it reaches the junction of Southfleet Road it passes south of the site of Roman Springhead which is near modern Swanscombe. When the A2 passes north of the village of Bean it branches north as the A296 Roman Road. At the Princes Road junction it branches north again as Watling Street, and, as the A226, passes through Crayford.

Watling Street continues on to London along the route of the A207 south of the River Thames. From London the A5 Edgware Road 2 and passes through Brockley Hill and changes to the A5183 as it crosses the A41. Just north of Elstree the A5183 changes name to Watling Street and turns north-west on the way to St Albans. As Watling Street approaches St Albans, it stops suddenly at its junction with Watford Road and St Stephen's Hill. The A5183 turns north-west of Watling Street up St Stephen's Hill and turns north-east on Verulam Road, continuing into Redbourn Road and rejoining the original course of Watling Street 400 metres south of Hogg End Lane. Watling Street continues as the A5183 Redbourn Road and St Albans Road. When the road reaches the outskirts of the town of Redbourne, it continues as Redbourne High Street and Dunstable Road. The A518 takes a large curving detour to the eastern side of Watling Street, and rejoins the road 60 metres west of Luton Lane.

Watling Street changes identity from the A5185 to the A5 as it crosses the M1. At the Chequers Hill junction the A5 runs south of Watling Street for 1.2 miles. The A5 then crosses north of Watling Street at Green Lane and runs to the north of the original route for a mile. The original road passes through the town of Markyate, in the area north of the High Street and the A5. Watling Street continues into Dunstable as the A5, through Hockliffe and south of the A5 through Little Brickhill, but south of Wyness Avenue the road is lost here for approximately 1.5 miles. At the A4146 junction the A5 runs north of Watling Street to the junction of the A508. Watling Street runs through Fenny Stratford, Stony Stratford and Old Stratford, following the A5 from the A508 junction before continuing into Towcester. Watling Street continues on the A5 with slight variations to Weedon.

From Weedon the course of Watling follows the A5, with slight deviations just north of Weedon and the west of Norton with the largest deviation round Daventry, where the road passes through and under the rail terminal. From Daventry to Atherstone the A5 and Watling Street follow the same route, at Atherstone Watling Street follows Witherley Road and Long Street before rejoining the A5 at Holly Lane. At the M42 junction Watling Street runs south of the A5 through Wilnecote, Two Gates and Frazeley rejoining the A5 just west of Bangley. The A5 follows the route of Watling Street until Redhill Near Telford, where it is lost under the town's suburbs. The probable route was through St George's and Okengates to Ketley, and along the A5 to Wroxeter near Shrewsbury. Then, on local roads to the Stratford Bridge Camp, Leintwardine Kenchester, the route of the road is confused in this section and there is too much speculation to be sure of the exact route.

Stone Street Local roads: The Continuation of Watling Street Into Wales Stone Street: 3 : from Brecon Gaer The Roman Fort at Pen-Y-Gaer to the Roman fort at Abergavenny and Caerleon on Usk. The road south into Wales. The Fosse Way The Fosse Way : from Exeter to Lincoln: The western road to the north. Take the A30 that runs out of Exeter to Honiton, this follows the approximate route of the Fosse Way. The road then splits: the direct route to Ham Hill is approximated by the A303, but the Fosse Way ran to the south (passing close to Chard). The indirect route follows the line of the A35 to Axminster, then north on the A358 to join the A30 and the direct route. The route continues on the A303 to Shepton Mallet, then on to Ilchester still on the A37. Stay on the A37 and join the A367 Bath Road to Nettlebridge that runs to the west of the Fosse Way.

From its junction with Rock Road it runs on Fosse Way to where the A367 turns west and continues south-east of the Fosse Way, (the Fosse Way to Camerton is lost beneath the fields), then back on the A367 into Bath. It is probable that the Fosse Way then passed via North Wraxall to Nettleton, then on to Easton Grey and Cirencester. The A46 and the A433 pass to the west of the Fosse Way From Cirencester, the A429 follows the course of the road in spirit - if not in fact - to Bourton-on-the-Water. The A429 then to shifts to the east of the Fosse Way as it heads to Moreton-in-the-Marsh. The A429 is named the Fosse Way from Moreton-in-the-Marsh up to three miles south of Ettington, where it becomes a minor road. The Fosse way continues to Chesterton on Fosse and High Cross on the A5 (Watling Street).

It is probable the Fosse way then passed via open fields and lanes to join the Coventry Road at its junction with Leicester Road, then into Leicester. The A46 follows the route of the Fosse Way into Willoughby-on-the-Wolds and then on to East Bridgeford, East Stoke/Thorpe by Newark and Brough then the A46 joins the A4134 into Lincoln. Local Road Lincoln to the coast From Lincoln to Horncastle the road has gone but it was possible it passed to the north of Bardney and on into Horncastle. The A518 from Horncastle to Skegness is the closest route although there has been a shift to the north the original Roman roads. The Roman Ferry no longer exists The Peddars Way The road from Holm next to the Sea to Kempstone is hard to trace but the Fakenham Road from the A418 to Docking seems likely to have been part of the route. Ermine Street Ermine Street : from London to Lincoln: The eastern road north. Start this journey by taking the A10 out of London towards Braughing.

Then join the Roman road just to the east of the A10 signposted to Buntingford to Royston where Ermine Street. The A1198 can be used to travel towards Wimpole Lodge and on to Godmanchester. Use the A1 and A1(M) to Water Newton as they are very close to the Roman route (apart from the Stilton bypass). The road from Water Newton to Great Casterton is the A1, otherwise known as the Great North Road. This road passes to the west of modern Saltersford and the Roman road leaves the A1 at its junction with the A151. It then picks up the line of a road known as High Dyke. There is a bit of a bulge to the west near Colsterworth, but try to visualise the road continuing over the fields. The High Dyke continues towards Ancaster but when it reaches the A153 crossroads just south of the town, the road changes its name to Ermine Street. Ermine Street passes through Ancaster and becomes High Dyke again just north of the town.

The road disappears when it reaches the A17: however, there is a private road running through fields that follows the course of the road. You will have to go north on the A607 into Lincoln, though Ermine Street is likely to have taken a straight course north passing through RAF Waddington through Canwick and into Lincoln. From Lincoln, Ermine Street follows the A15 to Owmby, apart for the detour east, round another airfield at Hackthorn Cliff. Still on the A15, head north to Hibaldstow, passing of the west of the modern town. The A15 passes over the M180 and ends at the A18 junction. You can clearly see the route of the Roman road in the field pattern, between the junction and Appleby Lane. The modern road turns east and then north to follow Scawby Road, High Street (Broughton) and then Appleby Lane, before turning north and becoming Ermine Street again. Just north of Appleby Village, Ermine Street becomes a lane: it crosses Roxby Causeway and then Holmes lane.

At this point, approximately two and-a-half miles to the east of Ermine Street, and to the east of Roxby Road (in the fields South of Thealby Lane at its junction with Roxby Road) lies the Winterton Villa Estate - a large villa with mosaics and some outbuildings. From the junction with Holmes Lane, Ermine Street continues past Leys Lane and Ings Lane to the junction with the A1077. Ermine Street continues a short way on the A1077 (Crockthorne Lane) and then becomes Ermine Street, turning north at the A1077 Sluce Lane junction. Ermine Street then continues into Winteringham, the site of the southern Roman Humber ferry terminal. To get to the next point, the best route is Scunthorpe, Eastoft to Goole (then joining the M62 followed by the A63 to Brough). The Ferry no longer exists Ermine Street North of the Humber Brough-on-Humber is the northern Roman Humber ferry terminal. Ermine Street continues to York across country but this part of the route is now hard to follow.

Stane Street Local Road: The start of the central road north. Bosham via Fishbourne to Chichester on the A259. Stane Street (And Other Roads): from Bosham to Lincoln. Chichester: At the A285 to Ides Common the road disappears - it is probable that it went via Bignor and joined the A29 (Stane Street) near Watersfield. Arriving at Hardham you reach the A29 (Stane Street) to Alfoldean at the junction of the A29 and the A218. From Alfoldean the route is lost, (although there is a short stretch between Oakwood and Jayes Park) it is probable it then passed to the east of Dorking, Leatherhead and Epsom through Langley Vale and into Ewell. The closest likely modern route to London from Ewell is the A24. The Fen Causeway To Longthorpe the road is under Peterborough and can't be seen.

The probable route to Downham West (Denver) is a cross-country one through Westry, Threeholes and Nordleigh: you will have to use the A47 and the A1122 to the north. The A1122 is close to the original route to Kempstone (apart from the detour round Marham airfield), but from the junction of the A1122 and the A47 it's guesswork (possibly via Great Palgrave and Great Dunham). The Peddars Way From Kempstone to Holme next to the sea is hard to trace, but the Fakenham Road from the A418 to Docking seems likely to have been part of the route. A Ferry no longer exists Local Roads From Skegness to Horncastle the A518 is the closest route, although there has been a shift to the north of the Roman roads. From Horncastle to Lincoln the road has gone but it was possible it passed to the north of Bardney and on into Lincoln.

British Road List Icknield Street or Ryknild Street: 124 miles King Street: 40 miles Roman Roads | Romans In Britain Romans In Britain Contact Us Roman Roads If you look at a list of what the Romans were known for, you’ll often find mention of road building, which became evermore important as the Roman Empire expanded. Julius Caesar and Emperor Augustus, were heavily involved in producing road networks throughout Rome, and the wider empire, with construction recorded as early as 500 BC, continuing through the Roman Republic and Roman Empire periods. Given that the road system in the Empire itself spanned 53,000 miles, the proverb ‘all roads lead to Rome’ may have some semblance of truth. In Britain, Roman roads were originally built by soldiers, then later on the work was passed on to prisoners. The roads the Romans built had three main functions during the Roman rule of Britain. Initially they were a way of moving troops quickly across the country and the land they had conquered. Later on they formed an important part of the communications infrastructure, enabling messengers to carry important notices and letters around the country. The roads also enabled instructions to be passed on quickly between Rome and its Empire.

As the Empire developed, and settlements grew up along the Roman Roads, the infrastructure also helped trade and the Roman economy. Excess food grown at Roman villas in the countryside was transported to army bases and urban settlements, while mass production of pottery was also possible. Roman rule not only afforded power over the people of Britain, but control of its lands too, which meant that Roman roads could often be found crossing property and farmland. Most Roman roads were straight in construction, unless there were hills, mountains, and forests to be avoided. Construction of a Roman road would normally mean building up an embankment, surrounded by drainage ditches. The road would be built in layers using large rocks, stones, gravel and sand. Evidence of the location of Roman Roads, was recorded in Antonine Itineraries or Roman Road Maps. In Britain there were two maps published, the Antonine Itnerary for Britain, known as Iter Britanniarum, and the Peutinger Talble, an early predecessor to the AA Route Map. These maps would show the major Roman roads, distances between settlements, and also the placement of major forts. Distances were given in Roman Miles, which were approximately 5,000 feet or 1,479 metres.

Today, Roman Roads have been featured on historical programs like Channel 4’s Time Team, which in 2002 searched for a stretch of Ermine Street, which rose to prominence as one of the most important Roman roads in Britain. This road linked London with Lincoln, the Humber area, and Winteringham. Other well-known Roman roads include Watling Street, running from London to Wroxeter, and the Fosse Way which linked Exeter and Lincoln, and was built along a route that had been in use since prehistoric times. Many of these roads fell into disrepair when the Romans left Britain, although many of our modern road networks follow similar routes, so the Romans did leave a useful legacy for Brits to make use of. Leave a Reply Roman Roads in Britain on AboutBritain.com You are here: Articles -> Roman Britain -> Roman Roads in Britain Roman Roads in Britain It's a lovely day for a drive in Great Britain, so how about a trip from Dover to London ? According to the map, you will be travelling the A2. Once in London, you decide to go further west, perhaps all the way to Holyhead. The map specifies that you'll be driving the A5.

To the Romans, the A5 and the A2 were designated Watling Street. A great battle was fought just off Watling Street. The Roman Governor Paulinius, in AD61, marched his troops from Holyhead and lured the Iceni Queen, Boudicea, and her army to a large field in The Midlands. There her followers were slaughtered, and history says Boudicea took poison. Oxford Street in London is now full of designer shops, large department stores, and small boutiques. But it didn't begin that way. Oxford Street was one of the first Roman roads in Britain to be built. Running between military headquarters in Colchester, and the border of Hampshire and Berkshire , Oxford Street used to carry marching troops. However, it was also important for trade, so the street hasn't completely changed in 1700 years. Pre-dating London, Oxford Street crossed another Roman road, Park Lane. At this junction is where the village of Tyburn grew. Tyburn became infamous for its 'Hanging Tree' in the area where Marble Arch now stands. Going from Leicester to Lincoln ?

Now better known as the A46, in Roman times it was the Fosse Way - a name still used by locals to this day. The Fosse Way allowed a traveller to go from Exeter to Bath , cross the Cotswolds, and thence into Lincoln. Parts of the now A10, between London and Hertfordshire , were known by the Romans as Ermine Street. The A15 which runs out of Lincoln is also part of that Roman road. Before the Roman occupation of Britain, there weren't roads, per se, around the country. Pathways and tracks were the offering for travellers, trade goods, and any sort of ease of motion around Great Britain. Roman roads in Britain were needed to maintain control over the country - it was important for troops to be transported with little problem from place to place. It was also necessary to ease the routes of supplies for these troops. That's why one of the first projects for Rome was the construction of roads. Although sometimes following the native tracks, Roman roads in Britain were usually made from scratch. Beginning with a solid stone foundation, a middle layer of either sand or gravel would then be added. The surface would then either feature gravel or paving stones.

Local material was used as much as possible. Roman troops were the labour force. Due to the primitive survey technology of the time, most Roman roads were made in a straight line. When a straight line wasn't possible, right angles were made instead of curves; curves being difficult to survey properly. Suitable crossing points would be scouted for necessaries on the road, such as bridges. Crossing marshy land, or ascending a valley would also provide obstacles to the construction. In the case of wet land, a causeway would be built. A valley would find itself sporting a lovely zig-zag pattern up its side. Roman roads in Britain weren't just for the military, however. Secondary roads were also built. These would allow easy access to mining pits and pottery kilns for example. Distances between villages were soon easy to traverse. Market towns, villas, and farms were soon connected by roads. Although society generally collapsed with the withdrawal of Rome from Great Britain, Roman roads in Britain were so well built and maintained, that they can still be travelled, in some fashion, today. Article by "Tudor Rose" The Romans In Britain The Romans in Britain Home | Page Index | Section Index | Search 8.

The Legacy of the Romans The Romans have left the world a rich and varied legacy, and we do not need to look too far to find that Roman rule had an enormous impact on Britain. Hadrian's Wall at Walltown Crags (Northumberland). Photo Simon I Hill, Roman Britain The Romans made great changes to the British landscape. Many modern roads still follow the line of Roman roads. Most of the towns founded by the Romans, like London, York and Lincoln, are still towns today. The surviving (southern) arch of the north gate of Roman Lincoln, now known as the Newport Arch. Photo Patrick Ottaway Roman forts like Birdoswald on Hadrian's Wall, which is shown here, have often been re-used for defence and for other purposes in the centuries since the Roman soldiers disappeared. Reconstruction of a medieval tower house in Birdoswald Roman fort. Illustration by Kate Wilson, � Cumbria County Council The legacy of Roman civilisation can still be seen in our architecture, engineering, law, literature, mathematics, money, religion, and writing. This is a legacy which we share with all the other European, north African and middle eastern countries which were once part of the empire.

One of the cast iron gates at Marble Arch, London (built in 1828) showing a Roman soldier. Photo Patrick Ottaway The English language has taken many words and phrases from Latin and Latin is still used in logos and mottoes like this one which is used by Arsenal football club. The Latin words Victoria Concordia Crescit mean 'Victory springs from Unity'. Arsenal football club crest with the Latin motto Victoria Concordia Crescit ('Victory comes from Unity'). With the kind permission of Arsenal Football Club Did you know? The design of Britain's coinage is still based on the design of Roman coins. Some of the lettering is still in Latin. Look for D.G. which stands for Dei gratia, meaning 'by god's grace', and Regina, meaning 'queen'. Written around the edge of some £1 coins is a phrase from Vergil's Aeneid: 'decus et tutamen' which means 'glory and protection'. �1 coin. [ Section Index | Top ] Roads still run along lines surveyed by the Roman engineers nearly 2000 years ago and we can easily spot the long straight stretches of Roman roads on maps and in the landscape.

Some of these Roman roads have special names today, although they are not the names the Romans gave them. Map of the main Roman roads in Britain showing modern names. Roman Britain Ermine Street ran north from London. At Lincoln, it would have passed through this Roman arch which is part of the north gate of the town. Much of this Roman road is now followed by the modern A1 and A15. The surviving (southern) arch of the north gate of Roman Lincoln, now known as the Newport Arch. Photo Patrick Ottaway The Fosse Way ran along a north-east / south-west line from Lincoln to Leicester and Cirencester before heading towards Exeter. All four towns were founded by the Romans. Reconstruction illustration of the Roman legionary fortress at Exeter. Exeter City Museums and Art Gallery Watling Street ran from London north-west to the Roman towns of St Albans and Wroxeter, and then on to the island of Anglesey off the north Wales coast. Much of this route is now followed by the A5. The remains of the Roman bath house at Wroxeter (Shropshire).

Photo Patrick Ottaway with the kind permission of English Heritage Dere Street ran from York to Corbridge near Hadrian's Wall and then through the Wall into Scotland eventually reaching Cramond on the Firth of Forth. Today the Roman road is followed for much of the way from York to Hadrian's Wall by the A1. The Roman site at Corbridge (Northumberland). Photo Simon I. Hill with the kind permission of English Heritage. The Legacy of Roman Towns Most towns founded by the Romans in Britain are still towns today. The Romans knew how to choose places which had good communications, a good water supply and good farmland around them. Aerial view of York from the south-west. A.Crawshaw You can usually spot an English town of Roman origin by its name which will have 'chester' 'caster' or 'cester' in it. These words derive from the Latin word castra meaning a camp which was used by the Anglo-Saxons for any Roman settlement. Colchester, Lancaster, Leicester, and Winchester are towns with names which give away their Roman origin, but you can find lots of others.

In Wales a place of Roman origin was often named using 'caer', a Welsh version of the Latin word castra meaning camp. It can be found in the names of the towns of Caerwent and Carmarthen as well as in Caerleon which means 'camp of the legions'. Drain cover from the cold bath in the legionary fortress baths at Caerleon (Gwent). CADW -Welsh Historic Monuments. In a few towns parts of the Roman walls can still be seen above ground. They may form part of the medieval town defences which in many cases follow the same line as the Roman walls. Stretches of Roman town walls can be seen at Lincoln and Roman fortress walls survive at Chester and York. The 'Multangular Tower' at the west corner of the Roman fortress at York. The smaller stones in the lower half are Roman work and the larger stones above are medieval. Photo Lesley Collett Some Roman walls which can still be seen above ground belonged to town buildings. In Leicester there is a wall, now called the Jewry Wall, which was part of the Roman town bath house. It probably survives because it was part of a church in Anglo-Saxon and later times.

The 'Jewry Wall' at Leicester, originally part of the exercise hall of the Roman town baths. Photo Patrick Ottaway The Legacy of Latin [ Section Index | Top ] In many parts of Europe, including France, Spain and Italy, the language people speak today is based directly on Latin. English is based on Anglo-Saxon, but has many words of Latin origin. Welsh also has words of Latin origin. Coloured drawing by John Lickman of a mosaic found at Thruxton, Hampshire showing Bacchus, the Roman god of wine in the centre. The words at the top read QVINTVS NATALIVS NATALINVS ET BODENI who are probably the people who paid for the mosaic. Saffron Walden Museum There are lots of English words in daily use which are derived from Latin words. Here are just five: computer from Latin computare, to calculate family from Latin familia, family library from Latin liber, a book millennium from Latin mille, a thousand school from Latin schola Notice board advertising a Millennium project. Photo Patrick Ottaway Some Latin words are used in English to mean much the same as they did in Roman times.

Here are four examples: Auditorium part of a theatre occupied by the audience Diploma a document giving an honour or privilege Forum a meeting place Stadium a place where sports are played Reconstruction illustration of the Roman theatre at St Albans (Verulamium) Illustration by Alan Sorrell, Verulamium Museum. Popular Latin sayings from Roman authors used today include: Amor vincit omnia 'love conquers all' (the poet Horace) Nil desperandum 'don't despair' (the poet Horace). Tempus fugit 'time flies' (the poet Vergil) Veni, vidi, vici 'I came, I saw, I conquered' (Julius Caesar) Gilded bronze head of the goddess Minerva from the temple at Bath. Roman Bath Museum, Bath Welsh has many words which are taken from Latin. Here are just five examples: Ffenestr (window) from Latin fenestra Llyfr (book) from Latin liber Pont (bridge) from Latin pons Porth (port) from Latin portus Ysgol (school) from Latin schola Caerleon Roman Bath Museum bilingual Welsh / English information board. Photo Simon I.

Hill with kind permission CADW - Welsh Historic Monuments One reason why we have so many words of Latin origin in English is that Latin has been used for centuries by people in professions like the church, the law and medicine. Latin was a language which could be understood by educated people all over Europe. Detail of the inscription on the altar from Corbridge (Northumberland) dedicated to Jupiter Dolichenus and other gods. Wording shown here reads: 'to the sky gods of Brigantia' (CAELESTI BRIGANTIAE) 'and to Salus' (ET SALUTI), the god of health, by the centurion Julius Apolinaris of the Sixth Legion. Photo Simon I. Hill with the kind permission of English Heritage. The Christian church has used Latin since Roman times and it has only gradually been replaced by modern languages. Church words of Latin origin include: Cathedral from Latin cathedra, a chair Creed from Latin credere, to believe Diocese from a Latin word for a province Reconstruction illustration of the 4th century Roman church at Colchester. The apse is the right hand end of the building. Illustration by Peter Froste.

Peter Froste and Colchester Archaeological Trust Scientists use Latin names for all living things: plants, animals, insects, fungi, even bacteria. Most of them have no name in any other language. Do you recognise the plant in the picture and do you know its Latin name? Foxglove - in Latin digitalis because the flowers would fit over a finger or digit (in Latin digitus). Photo Patrick Ottaway Did you know? Schools, universities and businesses often have mottoes in Latin rather than English. Some of them were made up a long time ago when all educated people learnt Latin. Others are quite recent and are used because people still find Latin can express ideas clearly. The Architectural Legacy [ Section Index | Top ] You can see many buildings in the streets of our towns and cities today which imitate the buildings of the Roman world. The Royal Exchange in the City of London, built 1841-4, with a fa�ade in the style of a Roman temple. Photo Patrick Ottaway A basilica has a central nave with aisles on either side. A basilica was originally used in Roman towns and forts as a meeting place, but has been used for Christian churches ever since Roman times.

Reconstruction illustration of the drill hall at the Roman fort at Birdoswald on Hadrian's Wall. Illustration by Kate Wilson, � Cumbria County Council Most theatres today use the so-called proscenium stage found in Roman theatres and the seats face banks of seating in a semi-circular auditorium. Reconstruction illustration of the Roman theatre at St Albans (Verulamium) Illustration by Alan Sorrell, Verulamium Museum. The Roman amphitheatre is the model for many sports arenas because the oval plan allows everyone to get a good view. You can see this at Wembley Stadium which is shown here or the well-named Oval cricket ground in London. Wembley stadium, London from the air. Wembley Stadium Triumphal arches in Roman style came back into fashion in the 19th century as you can see at Marble Arch in London or the Arc de Triomphe in Paris. Marble Arch, London, designed by John Nash in 1828 to resemble a Roman triumphal arch (moved to its present site in 1851).

Photo Patrick Ottaway Buildings like Roman temples have been used as churches since the 18th century and also as banks and other places of business. This picture shows part of the Bank of England which is a copy of part of the Emperor Hadrian's villa at Tivoli in Italy. Tivoli Corner, part of the Bank of England, built in about 1800 to a design by Sir John Soane based on Emperor Hadrian's villa near Rome. Photo Patrick Ottaway Unless otherwise indicated, all material on this site is © copyright York Archaeological Trust 2007 Rural Roads - The Fosse Way - Page 1 The Fosse Way Comments, contributions, Criticisms - please click here The Fosse Way Introduction The Fosse Way is the oldest of the roads featured on this site. It runs from Exeter in the south west to Lincoln in the north-east, and was built in the middle of the 1st century AD. The word Fosse comes from the Latin word for ditch (Fossa) and is appropriate for this road as for a long time, the western boundary of Roman controlled Britain was protected by a defensive ditch running between Exeter and Lincoln.

Whether the ditch was filled in and the road built later, or whether the road was built to follow the ditch is a subject of much conjecture. What is certain is that the road got its name from the ditch. For more information on where the Romans built roads, have a look at this rather large map . In modern times there is little trace of the Roman Road. In fact, it is not possible to drive from end to end along the Roman route, largely because there is no modern equivalent along much of the section between Bath and Cirencester. However, there is a very good, drivable route along much of the length, and this site concentrates on the section between Stow-on-the-Wold ( Map ) and the A425 near Royal Leamington Spa (Map) . Our route starts in the Cotswolds and takes us along sections of the A429 and B4455 through such places as Morton-in-Marsh and Halford Bridge. On the journey we see where old meets new as we cross the M40 motorway. Whilst much of the road isn't as straight as you might expect from a Roman Road, the pictures show that there are some very long straight sections along the route.

For this reason, even in the 21st Century, the Fosse Way makes a good route for travelling north out of the Cotswolds. Stow-on-the-Wold to Moreton-in-Marsh Stow-on-the-Wold is, as the name suggests, a town situated on top of a hill. From here, the A429 heads north, descending from the town along a tree-lined single carriageway road, as featured in the first three pictures below. Soon the hedges and hill give way to flat open land as we approach the small Cotswold town of Moreton-in-Marsh. According to this site , the Roman Fosse Way lies some 3ft below the modern day High Street. Moreton-in-Marsh is home to one of Britain's least-known motorways - one so secret that you won't find it marked on any map. Baffled? This is the home of the M96 , situated at the Fire Service College , just to the east of the town centre on an old airfield.

[an error occurred while processing this directive] Walkingworld - Roman roads Pathways > The Pathways book > Roman roads Roman roads The Roman invasion of Britain changed our islands completely, not least because of the network of Roman roads that the conquering army swiftly constructed. Over time the Romans built a vast web of mostly well built roads. Although the primary purpose was military they became important trade routes, taking the 'Roman way' to the indiginous population and carrying away valuable minerals, metals and foodstuffs. When Roman rule ceased in around 410AD their roads continued in regular use but, without a central power to govern their maintenance, they gradually fell into disrepair. In many cases, however, the original line of the route remained and many have become the roads of today. In other places, as on Stane Street in West Sussex, the route fell out of use and the remnants of the original Roman road can still be seen. The Stane Street walk , featured in the book, is free to download once you have joined as a member of Walkingworld. Below you can read the full chapter from the book.

------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- The Romans were the first to build a planned network of roads across Britain, a feat of engineering and construction that proved to be way ahead of its time. Nearly 2,000 years elapsed before there was once again a systematic effort to develop and improve the road system in Britain, with the construction of the toll-charging turnpike roads in the 18th century. Looking at a map of Roman roads at the height of the Roman occupation, it is striking how similar it is to our road network today, with the majority of trunk roads radiating from London. This was the product of a national, rather than local, road-building strategy. The Roman roads were designed primarily to facilitate military control. They dramatically increased speed of passage and were seldom impassable in bad weather. A journey that might previously have taken several days could, with regular changes of horses, be done in a matter of hours. It is no surprise then that the first Roman roads were built to consolidate the new frontiers. The very first major road, the Fosse Way, linked Exeter and Lincoln, passing through Bath, Gloucester and Leicester.

Within a few decades of the invasion in 43 AD the frontier had been pushed out to include Lincoln, York, Wroxeter, Chester and Caerleon and new military roads were built to link them. Later the military network extended into what is now Scotland, past Hadrian’s Wall to the Antonine Wall even further north. But this was not just about the imposition of military might. As time went by and the conquered regions became settled, the roads increasingly became trading routes. Side roads were built to connect important commercial and industrial centres, for instance to the iron-mining area of the Weald. The Romans were masters of the art of assimilation, so the roads brought luxury goods and fine foods to the elite class of the indigenous population. The network was also a method of raising revenues, with a tax (portorium) imposed of some 2–2.5% of the value of the goods passing along it. In their heyday Roman roads stretched throughout the land, an estimated 10,000 miles in total. They were the motorways of their time but, just like modern motorways, they were by no means the only pathways across the country. They were additional to an already extensive track and path network.

Often, however, the Roman road was quite isolated from the indigenous web of paths and population. The Romans favoured high ground and their routes were driven, at least initially, by military rather than local communication needs. A cut-away view of a Roman road must be one of the most popular wall posters to be found in classrooms, illustrating the construction in graphic detail, usually with a proud Roman centurion posing alongside. A Roman road typically comprised an embankment (‘agger’), up to about 35ft wide, with a ditch on either side. The ditch was for drainage and also the consequence of quarrying for materials for the agger. The road metal was then laid on top, sometimes as a single layer of flint, gravel or other stony material, sometimes with layers of foundation material too, depending on the terrain. The surface was generally cambered to let the rainwater drain off easily. We think of the completed roads as being absolutely straight and, all things being equal, they were. This tells us something about the Roman demand for efficiency, but it can also be seen as an expression of power. As conquerors, there were no considerations of land ownership or local objections to deter them from taking the most direct line.

However, straightness was not an absolute rule: larger natural obstacles or steep gradients were sometimes avoided, with the road diverting around them before reverting back to its original line. Following the collapse of Roman rule around 410 AD, the roads ceased to be properly maintained. Many of those with minimal engineering simply disappeared back into the landscape. Bridges, largely of wooden construction, were often the first things to give way. Inevitably some stretches of road were washed away by floods. However, large chunks of the major routes survived and were in use up to medieval times, albeit often on a much more localised basis. Some of the well-known Roman road names, such as Watling Street and Ermine Street, are probably Anglo-Saxon, suggesting that they continued in regular use well into the post-Roman period. Some were eventually improved as turnpikes in the 18th century, having been pretty much neglected for over a millennium and a half. Numerous Roman roads are still in evidence today, whether as main roads such as the A5, country lanes, parish boundaries (so used because of their longevity and prominence) or simply tracks and footpaths.

Some, such as the Peddars Way, have become long-distance footpaths. In one way or another they have remained a key element of the British landscape and its pathways. Stane Street in West Sussex Nicholas Rudd-Jones travels back to the stomping ground of his youth. Stane Street connects Chichester – then called Regnum, the tribal capital of Roman Sussex – with London. It is likely to have carried inter-town traffic and facilitated the distribution of corn from the rich agricultural area of southern Sussex to London and the rest of Britain. There were, no doubt, lots of tracks criss-crossing Stane Street, especially on the crest of the Downs, which would have formed an east-west thoroughway long before the Romans arrived. The street took the most direct route that the lie of the land allows; it is a good example of the skill and thoroughness with which these roads were planned by the Roman engineers. They saw, for example, that by building the road a little east of the direct alignment from London to Chichester at Pulborough they could take advantage of a convenient descent from the South Downs between Gumber Corner and Bignor. The best place to see this descent is looking south from the Roman villa.

There is a point in the field where in dry weather you can see the merest shadow of its form. Bignor Roman Villa was discovered in 1811 by a farmer, Mr Tupper, who was ploughing his field and hit a large stone. The site was fully excavated almost immediately and turned into a major tourist attraction during the Victorian era. The villa was one of the most opulent in Roman Britain, though considerably smaller than nearby Fishbourne Roman Palace. It was inhabited by a Romano-British farming family, who took advantage of the ridge of fertile greensand soil on which it sat to make themselves wealthy. It was linked to Stane Street by a metalled track. The villa complex grew in a series of stages, from an original timber building dating from around 200 AD. Over the following two centuries it expanded to more than 60 rooms, several of which house fine mosaics, now protected under a thatched roof. There is an example of Roman underfloor heating and a sumptuous bath complex, complete with warm rooms, hot room, cold plunging pool and changing area. There is little or no evidence of when or why the property was abandoned.

It was not damaged by fire, like Fishbourne Palace, so it may simply have fallen into disuse after the end of the Roman occupation, in around 410 AD. Every 13 miles or so along Stane Street there would be a ‘posting station’, equivalent to the motorway stop of today. These were rectangular enclosures through which the road ran. Inside were whatever buildings were needed to service the traffic passing through, in particular stabling for a change of horses for high-speed message carriers. The nearest posting station to Bignor Hill is a few miles north, on the road to Pulborough, at Harding. It is reckoned that Stane Street was maintained for well over three centuries, until the Romans left around 410 AD, at which point it started to fall into disrepair. It was, however, still in use in the 13th century, when it was mentioned in a ‘feet of fines’, an agreement to end a legal dispute or establish a property ownership. The road is still being used today, but for leisure only – walkers, cyclists and horse riders make good use of the firm ground and level surface.

The South Downs is now a national park, which should ensure that the road is preserved for centuries to come. This whole area is special to me, as the place where I grew up and explored every nook and cranny, latterly dragging my children along with me. It was special to my mother, who rode up here and used to bring a good friend for a walk along the top (a good friend who incidentally lived in the house of John Hawkins, the man who led the excavation of Bignor Roman Villa). It was a memorable place in the summer of 1977, when as teenagers we climbed up the adjacent Duncton Down to celebrate the Queen’s Silver Jubilee, lighting a beacon as one of a network of flaming lights across the country, an ancient tradition most famously put to use to warn of the approaching Spanish Armada. On the day I walk it again, it is certainly special to the many hikers, bikers and horse riders who are enjoying themselves, especially the father and son perched on a bench looking down towards the sea, deep in conversation and crisps. My seven-mile walk begins at the top of Bignor Hill.

Instantly there are glorious views to the south: you can see the sea glistening and on a clear day the Isle of Wight. To the north you can pick out the Hog’s Back and the North Downs, the route that Stane Street takes towards London. Bignor Hill is now part of the Slindon Estate, run by the National Trust. It is an exquisite piece of country, running south to the village of Slindon, and criss-crossed by myriad well-kept paths. Walking west along the main chalk ridge, the path soon reaches Stane Street. Clamber up on to its embankment, or ‘agger’, and it is easy to imagine yourself as a Roman soldier or aristocrat heading home to Regnum. If you had rested at Harding the night before, as most travellers did, it would probably be about lunchtime now and you might be feeling a bit peckish. What better place to stop than the point you reach in a few minutes, where you get the first proper view of your destination and the end of your journey? Nowadays you can just spy the spire of Chichester Cathedral, marking the very centre of the old Roman settlement.

The track here opens out onto a great expanse of downland. On a fine day in almost any season the Sussex Downs are utterly beautiful, and this is one of the best spots. This being early October, I am lucky enough to see a Clouded Yellow butterfly, an immigrant from southern Europe, blown in on a southerly wind. Just like the Romans themselves, really. As the track enters the wood there is a vast array of footpath choices. If you continue straight on you eventually get to Chichester, but here we leave our imaginary Roman companions and cut back via Gumber Farm, which is run by the National Trust and has a bothy and camping field where you can stay overnight. It’s in an exquisite remote setting and would make the perfect base for exploring the area. Iron Age lynchets can be found in front of the farm cottages – banks of earth formed on the slope of a field through endless ploughing, making a series of wide steps. Hilaire Belloc (1870-1953), the writer, poet and walker, was a frequent visitor to Gumber Farm and the South Downs.

There is a blue plaque in his memory on the bothy wall, with the inscription, ‘Lift up your hearts in Gumber.’ Heading back up to Stane Street on the left are the remains of a second world war decoy airfield disguised as an RAF base. I wonder what the farmer thought about being a target? I retrace my steps back onto Stane Street, and at the pedestrian gate peel right towards the Neolithic camp. I clamber over a metal gate and stroll around the area of the camp. One’s imagination needs to work overtime here, as there are just a few undulations, like waves in the sea, to indicate the signs of past human activity. But if you look up and around, it’s easy to appreciate what a splendid spot its inhabitants chose, right on the top of the hill with views in all directions. The site may have been first occupied about 6,000 years ago, when settled farming replaced hunting and gathering as the main source of food. Dips left by old flint mines can be seen in several places. I walk on and swing left down through a wood, back up the other side of a dip and join the South Downs Way.

To the right of the track there’s a dew pond, a typical feature of the South Downs. They were built with clay-lined bottoms, often at the top of hills above the water line. Despite the name, the primary source of water is believed to be rainfall rather than dew or mist. From here it’s a delightful stroll back to the car park, with wide views in every direction. On the way, there’s Toby’s Stone – a mounting block commemorating a local huntsman who, just like Hilaire Beloc, fell in love with the spirit of the place. Toby’s inscription reads: ‘Here he lies Where he longed to be Home is the sailor Home from the sea And the hunter home from the hill.’ Toby, incidentally, was Toby Fitzwilliam, master of the Leconfield Hunt, and his son Richard (also on the inscription) used to live in the house that my family later inhabited. Below is a list of other walks visiting Roman Roads: Bedfordshire

Question: Running from Exeter to Lincoln, which was the longest Roman road in Britain?
Answer: Fosse Way