The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England that linked Exeter (Isca Dumnoniorum) in South West England to Lincoln (Lindum Colonia) in the East Midlands, via Ilchester (Lindinis), Bath (Aquae Sulis), Cirencester (Corinium) and Leicester (Ratae Corieltauvorum). Brinklow Castle known locally as " The Tump " was in the village of Brinklow in the county of Warwickshire between Coventry and The Roman Roads were essential for the growth of the Roman Empire, by enabling the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate news England is a Country which is part of the United Kingdom. Its inhabitants account for more than 83% of the total UK population whilst its mainland Exeter ( (IPA ˈeksɪtər is a city, district and County town of Devon, England. Isca Dumnoniorum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. South West England is one of the Regions of England. It is the largest such region in terms of area and extends from Gloucestershire and Wiltshire to Lincoln (ˈlɪŋkən is a Cathedral city and County town of Lincolnshire, England. Lindum Colonia (otherwise simply Lindum or more formally Colonia Domitiana Lindensium) was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. The East Midlands is one of the Regions of England and consists of most of the eastern half of the traditional region of the Midlands. Ilchester is a Village and Civil parish, situated on the River Yeo five Miles north of Yeovil, in the English county of Lindinis was a small Town in the Roman province of Britannia. Bath is a city in Somerset in the south west of England It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol. For the Roman Baths complex at Aquae Sulis see Roman Baths (Bath. Cirencester is a Market town in Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles (150 km west northwest of London Corinium Dobunnorum was the second largest town in the Roman province of Britannia. Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional Ratae Corieltauvorum was a town in the Roman province of Britannia.
It joined Akeman Street and Ermin Way at Cirencester, crossed Watling Street at Venonis (High Cross) south of Leicester, and joined Ermine Street at Lincoln. Akeman Street was a major Roman road in England that linked London to the Fosse Way at Cirencester. Ermin Street or Ermin Way (not to be confused with Ermine Street, which is further east is one of the great Roman roads of Britain Watling Street is the name given to an Ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Celts mainly between the modern High Cross is the crossroads of the Roman Roads of Watling Street and Fosse Way in Leicestershire, England. Ermine Street should not be confused with Ermin Street, the road from Silchester to Gloucester.
The word Fosse is derived from the Latin fossa, meaning ditch. Latin ( lingua Latīna, laˈtiːna is an Italic language, historically spoken in Latium and Ancient Rome. For the first few decades after the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43, the Fosse Way marked the western frontier of Roman rule. This page refers to the conquest begun in AD 43 For other Roman invasions see Caesar's invasions of Britain and Carausian Revolt. Year 43 was a Common year starting on Tuesday (link will display the full calendar of the Julian calendar. It is possible that the road began as a defensive ditch that was later filled in and converted into a road, or possibly a defensive ditch ran alongside the road for at least some of its length.
The Fosse Way is the only Roman road in Britain to retain its original Latin name. Most others were named by the Saxons, centuries after the Romans left Britain. For their language see Anglo-Saxon language. Anglo-Saxon is the term usually used to describe the invading Tribes in the south
It is remarkable for its extremely direct route: from Lincoln to Ilchester in Somerset, a distance of 182 miles, it is never more than six miles from a straight line. Somerset ( or) is a county in south west England The County town is Taunton, which is in the south of the county
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Today's route
Many sections of the Fosse Way form parts of modern roads and lanes, and parish, district or county boundaries. A parish is a Local church; it is an administrative unit typically found in episcopal or presbyterian churches A county is a Land area of Regional Government within a larger State.
Several place names on the route have the suffix -cester or -chester, which is from the Latin castra meaning military camp. The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military Some settlements are named after the road itself, such as Fosse-, or -on-Fosse, while others have a more generic form, such as Street, Strete, -le-Street, Stratton, Stretton, Stratford, and Stretford, from the Latin strata, meaning paved road.
Lincoln to Leicester
Between Lincoln and Leicester the A46 follows the route of the Fosse Way. Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional The A46 is a Trunk road in England. It largely follows the course of the Roman Fosse Way, from Lincoln to south Devon. The A46 deviates from Fosse Way at East Goscote, to follow the Leicester Western Bypass. East Goscote is a village and Civil parish in the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England, just north of Syston. Constructed in the early 1990 's the Leicester Western Bypass refers to a section of the A46, between the M1 motorway and Syston. The original alignment is still visible, as an unclassified road called Fosse Way passes through Syston, continuing as the minor road Melton Road through Thurmaston, before merging with the A607 (the old A46), continuing into the city centre on the old alignment, first as Melton Road then Belgrave Road and Belgrave Gate. This article is on Syston in Leicestershire There is also a Syston in Lincolnshire &mdash see Syston Lincolnshire Syston Thurmaston is a village and Civil parish within the Charnwood district of Leicestershire, England. The alignment terminates at the Clock Tower, and picks up again at Narborough Road (the A5460), on the other side of the River Soar. The Haymarket Memorial Clock Tower is a major landmark and popular meeting point in the Leicester city centre. The River Soar is a Tributary of the River Trent in the English East Midlands.
Leicester to Cirencester
South of Leicester, apart from a short deviation near Narborough where the original course is no longer visible, the B4114 (the A46 until renumbered on the building of the M69) follows the route. Leicester (ˈlɛstə is the largest city and Unitary authority area in the East Midlands of England, and is the traditional Narborough is a Village south of Leicester, England. It lies in the Blaby district of Leicestershire. The M69 is a Motorway in Leicestershire and Warwickshire, England connecting Leicester and Coventry, completed in A couple of miles north of the A5, the B4114 diverges from the line of the Fosse Way to pass through the village of Sharnford. Sharnford is a village and Civil parish in Blaby of Leicestershire. For two miles the route of the Fosse Way is followed by a minor road which, although single track, runs along a much wider and slightly domed strip of land with deep ditches either side (the agger). Agger is the Roman word for an embankment or rampart from the Latin aggero meaning to heap up make a mound The modern road ends at a picnic site car park, and a further mile and a half southwards can be explored on foot.
The junction with Watling Street, now the A5, is at High Cross (Roman name Venonis). Watling Street is the name given to an Ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Celts mainly between the modern Watling Street is the the county boundary between Leicestershire and Warwickshire. Watling Street is the name given to an Ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Celts mainly between the modern Leicestershire (ˈlɛstəʃə(r or ˈlɛstəʃɪə(r abbreviation Leics Geography Warwickshire is bounded to the northwest by the West Midlands Metropolitan county and Staffordshire, by Leicestershire to
The Fosse Way follows the B4455 across Warwickshire, through Street Ashton, Stretton-under-Fosse, Brinklow, Bretford Stretton-on-Dunsmore Princethorpe, and the site of a Roman town near Chesterton [1], until it joins the A429 near the boundary with Gloucestershire. Geography Warwickshire is bounded to the northwest by the West Midlands Metropolitan county and Staffordshire, by Leicestershire to Stretton-under-Fosse is a Village and Civil parish in the English county of Warwickshire. Stretton-on-Dunsmore is a village and Civil parish in the English county of Warwickshire. The A429 is a main road in England that runs in a north-northeasterly direction from junction 17 of the M4 motorway (4 miles north of Chippenham in History See also History of Gloucestershire Gloucestershire is a historic county mentioned in the Anglo-Saxon Chronicle in the 10th century The route then follows the A429 through Stretton-on-Fosse, Moreton-in-Marsh, Stow-on-the-Wold, Northleach and Fossebridge, to Cirencester, where it crosses Akeman Street and Ermin Way. The A429 is a main road in England that runs in a north-northeasterly direction from junction 17 of the M4 motorway (4 miles north of Chippenham in Moreton-in-Marsh is a town in Gloucestershire, England. The name "Moreton" derives from "Farmstead on the Moor" while the suffix "in Marsh" Stow-on-the-Wold is a Market town and Civil parish in Gloucestershire, England. Northleach is a small Cotswold Market town in Gloucestershire, England. Cirencester is a Market town in Gloucestershire, England, 93 miles (150 km west northwest of London Akeman Street was a major Roman road in England that linked London to the Fosse Way at Cirencester. Ermin Street or Ermin Way (not to be confused with Ermine Street, which is further east is one of the great Roman roads of Britain
Cirencester to Bath
South of Cirencester the Fosse Way follows a short section of the A433, then goes cross country, following the county boundary between Gloucestershire and Wiltshire, across the old airfield at RAF Kemble, then follows fragmented sections of country lanes. Etymology The county formerly 'Wiltonshire' or 'Wiltunscir' (9th century is named after the former county town of Wilton (itself named after the River Wylye RAF Kemble was a Royal Air Force airfield that was linked for many years with the Red Arrows, the RAF Aerobatic display team which operated Hawk trainers from there It passes near the Iron Age hill fort of Bury Camp and another section of the county boundary, before dropping through Batheaston and into Bath back onto the A46. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement Batheaston is a village two miles east of Bath, England (which is believed to be where the name derived from on the north bank of the River Avon. Bath is a city in Somerset in the south west of England It is situated west of London and south-east of Bristol.
Bath to Ilchester
Between Bath and Shepton Mallet the line of the Fosse Way follows parts of the A367, through Radstock and Stratton-on-the-Fosse. Shepton Mallet is a small rural Town in Somerset, England. It is situated five miles (8 km to the east of Wells, and lies just Radstock is a town in Bath and North East Somerset, England, south west of Bath, and the same distance north west of Frome. Stratton-on-the-Fosse is a village and Civil parish located on the edge of the Mendip Hills north east of Shepton Mallet, and from Frome, in It runs across open country and farm tracks parallel to the A37 north of Shepton Mallet, near the Iron Age hill fort of Maesbury. The A37 is a major Road in southern England. It runs north from the A35 at Dorchester in Dorset into Somerset through This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement Maesbury Castle is an Iron Age Hill fort within the parish of Croscombe on the Mendip Hills, just north of Shepton Mallet, Somerset At Beacon Hill south of Oakhill, it crossed the Roman road along the Mendip ridgeway from Old Sarum to the lead and silver mines at Charterhouse. Oakhill, Somerset is a Village located approximately 2 miles north of Shepton Mallet between the A37 and the A367 (The Fosseway The Mendip Hills (commonly called The Mendips) are a range of Limestone hills situated to the south of Bristol and Bath in Somerset Old Sarum is the site of the earliest settlement of Salisbury, in England. Charterhouse, also known as Charterhouse-on-Mendip, is a small hamlet in the Mendip Hills Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty (AONB in the The Fosse Way passes through the eastern suburbs of Shepton Mallet on a short stretch of the A361 to Cannard's Grave, where it picks up the A37. Shepton Mallet is a small rural Town in Somerset, England. It is situated five miles (8 km to the east of Wells, and lies just
The Fosse Way follows the A37 through Street-on-the-Fosse and Lydford-on-Fosse on a direct route to Ilchester. Lydford-on-Fosse is a village and Civil parish in the Mendip district of Somerset, England. Ilchester is a Village and Civil parish, situated on the River Yeo five Miles north of Yeovil, in the English county of The route leaves the A37 at the A303 junction just north of Ilchester, and follows a small track, before picking up the B3151 through the town. The A303 is a Trunk road in England. It is the main road between Basingstoke in Hampshire and Honiton in Devon.
The Roman road from Ilchester to Dorchester, Dorset continues on the line of A37 through Yeovil to the south east. Dorchester is a Market town in southern central Dorset, England, on the River Frome at the junction of the A35 and A37 Yeovil (ˈjovɪl is a town in south Somerset, England, on the A30 and A37. Other minor Roman roads lead from Ilchester and Lydford-on-Fosse towards Street and the A39 route along the Polden Hills, leading to Roman salt works on the Somerset Levels, and ports at Combwich, Crandon Bridge and Highbridge. Street is a town and Civil parish in the county of Somerset, England, situated on a dry spot in the Somerset Levels, at the end of the Polden The A39 is an A road in south west England. It runs south-west from Bath in Somerset through Wells, Glastonbury, Street The Polden Hills are a long low ridge extending for 20 miles and separated from the Mendip Hills, to which they are nearly parallel by a marshy tract known as the Somerset The Somerset Levels (or Somerset Levels and Moors as they are less commonly but more correctly called is a sparsely populated Wetland area of central Somerset Highbridge is a Somerset Market town situated on very edge of the Somerset Levels near the mouth of the River Brue.
Ilchester to Exeter
After Ilchester the Fosse Way follows a section of the A303 under the ramparts of the Iron Age hill fort of Ham Hill, occupied by the Second Legion after conquest of the Durotriges in Dorset. The A303 is a Trunk road in England. It is the main road between Basingstoke in Hampshire and Honiton in Devon. This article is about the archaeological period known as the Iron Age for the mythological Iron Age see Ages of Man. A hill fort is a fortified refuge or defended settlement Ham Hill is a Geological Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI Iron Age Hill fort, Roman site and Country park, to the Legio II Augusta, or Second Augustan Legion, was a Roman legion, levied by Gaius Vibius Pansa Caetronianus in 43 BC, and still operative The Durotriges were one of the Celtic tribes living in the British Islands prior to the Roman invasion of Britain.
The alignment leaves major roads after Petherton Bridge over the River Parrett, and follows country lanes to Over Stratton and Dinnington, where members of the Channel 4 television programme Time Team recently uncovered a mosaic next to the road. The River Parrett has its source in the Thorney Mills springs in the hills around Chedington in Dorset in England and flows west Dinnington is a Village and Civil parish in English county of Somerset, situated four Miles north of Crewkerne in the Channel 4 is a public-service Television and Radio broadcaster in the United Kingdom centred around a television channel of the same name which began Time Team is a British television series that has aired on Channel 4 since 1994 Art History Mosaics of the 4th century BC are found in the Macedonian palace-city of Aegae, and they enriched the floors of Hellenistic
The route crosses a stream called Stretford Water, climbs the ridge, and follows a short section of the A30 at Windwhistle Hill. The A30 is an old Trunk road (main road which runs from central London to Land's End, the westernmost point of the mainland of southern Great Britain ( though Then it turns on to the B3167 through the hamlets of Street and Perry Street, joins the A358, crosses the River Axe at what used to be called Stratford (now called Weycroft), and on to Axminster. List of A roads beginning with 3 in Great Britain starting west of the A3 and south of the A4. The River Axe is a river in Dorset, Somerset and Devon, in the south-west of England. Axminster is a small market town on the eastern border of Devon, England.
Now we come to the difficult question of where the Fosse Way ends. There are further alignments on the A358 at Ball's Farm and Musbury south of Axminster, which imply a Roman road did continue along the River Axe toward Axmouth and Seaton. Musbury is a village off the A358 road near Axminster in East Devon. Axmouth is a village and Civil parish in the East Devon district of Devon, England, near the mouth of the River Axe. Seaton is a seaside town in East Devon on the south coast of England. These sections are labelled Fosse Way on Ordnance Survey maps. Ordnance Survey (OS is an Executive agency of the United Kingdom government
However, the main route for Exeter would have followed the Dorchester road west from Axminster to Honiton. Exeter ( (IPA ˈeksɪtər is a city, district and County town of Devon, England. Honiton is a town in East Devon, situated close to the River Otter, 17 miles northeast of Exeter in the county of Devon. The crossroads in Axminster was controlled by a Roman fort at Woodbury Farm, now on the southern edge of the town. Moridunum was a fort and small Town in the Roman province of Britannia. The route to the west crosses the Rivers Axe and Yarty to Kilmington, continuing on segments of the A35 and minor local lanes to Honiton. The River Axe is a River in south west England. The river rises from the ground at Wookey Hole Caves in the Mendip Hills in Kilmington may refer to Kilmington Devon Kilmington Somerset Kilmington Wiltshire The A35 is a Trunk road in southern England, running from Honiton in Devon, that then passes through Dorset and terminates in Southampton
From Honiton the route leads south-west along the old A30, to Strete Ralegh, where there is a short break, then a clear alignment along a minor road towards Exeter.
It is also likely that one or more side roads split from the Fosse Way at Lopen Head or Dinnington, passing around Ilminster, then following the line of the current A303/A30 from Horton to Honiton. Dinnington is a Village and Civil parish in English county of Somerset, situated four Miles north of Crewkerne in the Ilminster is a country Town and Civil parish in the countryside of south west Somerset, England, with a population of 4781 For example, there are villages called Crock Street and Street Ash on or near these routes. So in the later years of Roman occupation, there would probably have been a choice of routes from Ilchester to Honiton.
Notes
- ^ Warwickshire Scheduled Historic Monument Chesterton
References
- The Archaeology of Somerset, M. Aston & I. Burrow (eds) (1982), ISBN 0-86183-028-8
- Roman Roads in Britain, Vol I, South of the Foss Way-Bristol Channel, I. D. Margary (1st ed, 1955)
See also
External links
- Map of Roman roads in Britain - Very large map; opens in separate window. Roman Britain refers to those parts of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire between AD 43 and 410 Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the vast standing Roman Army (in the 2nd century c
- Roman Roads of Britain: Chapter 7: The Foss Way , Thomas Codrington (1903)
- 'The Fosse Way - A Journey through Roman Britain' web page by the BBC
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