by John Ledbury

Created on: September 08, 2007   Last Updated: August 25, 2008

Roman roads in Britain.

Watling Street. Wades Causeway. Peddars Way.
Ermine Street. Blackstone Edge. Akeman Street.
Fosse Way. Stane Street. Icknield Street.

The Romans began building roads in Britain, following their invasion, in the latter half of the first century. Prior to that Britains roads were poorly made tracks that linked villages and towns. There were few roads suitable for a marching army. Good roads were needed for the fast movement of men, supplies, and materials. Military camps and forts were built approximately every 15 miles (24km), which was the Roman regulation distance for a days march. The priority was for building roads that linked ports and industry, and then commuities. Roman roads are known for being straight as was possible, but the surveyors did go around steep ground, marshes, or to find a suitable river crossing. Cuttings were made through the tops of hills, but anywhere steeper than one in six, was passed by cutting zig-zag terraces. Road building was done by Legionaries and conscripted labourers. Using local materials for the roads, thier technique was to first dig a drainage ditch on either side of the road. The road would be built using local stone, packed in to form a camber, to allow for drainage in wet weather.

WATLING STREET was one of the first roads to be built. It went from Dover (Portus Dubris) in Kent, through Canterbury (Durovernum) to London (Londinium) via St Albans (Verulamium), Dunstable (Durocobrivis), Towcester (Lactodurum), to the Legionary fortress at Wroxeter (Viroconium) in the north, then branched off to North Wales and York (Eberacum). Much of it still exists today, and many parts of it are still known by the same names as in Roman times.

ERMINE STREET went the 200 miles (321.87km) from London (Londinium) to York (Eberacum). The name Ermine Street grew from the Anglo-Saxon, 'the road to the Earns people'. After leaving London, heading north, the first major settlement of Braughing, north of Hertford, which was the hub of several roads, on to what was the fort and settlement town of Godmanchester ( Durovigutum), to Peterborough, and then Water Newton (Durobrivae) centre of Nene valley, an area of ceramic production, then to Lincoln (Lindum) continuing north across the river Humber to Brough (Petvaria) on the northern bank, and finally to the fortress settlement and Coloniae of York (Eberacum)

FOSSE WAY cuts a swathe right across England, at 220 miles (354.06km) long, from the fortress settlement of Exeter (Isca)

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