A Journey Through Britain's Roman Roads

Roman Roads in Britain

From the seven hills of Rome, the ancient city state in the heart of the Italian peninsular, the Roman people marched their legions out to conquer much of the classical world. For more than a millennium, from Rome’s mysterious origins in the 8th century BC to its fall in the 5th century AD, Roman soldiers fought, conquered and campaigned, at one stage forging an empire that spanned across three continents. In 55 BC, more than five centuries after the founding of their capital city, the Romans turned their gaze to Britannia (Britain), a remote island off the north-western coast of continental Europe. After two failed campaigns on the island, an army 40,000 strong finally overcame the resistance of the British tribes in 43 AD, eventually conquering an area that encompassed most of modern-day England and Wales.

By the time the Romans were forced to retreat from Britannia nearly 400 years later, they had created an unmistakable imprint on the people and lands that they had ruled over. This imprint has been uncovered during a string of archaeological digs, which now form the basis of several popular tours through the landmarks of Roman Britain. Tourists can marvel at the grand Roman palaces and mosaics near the old capital of Londinium in the south, follow tours through the great bath complexes in the midlands, and march along the old defensive lines at Hadrian’s Wall, the Vindolanda fort and the Antonine Wall. One can really get a sense of the scale of Rome’s great imperial machine, whilst finding glimpses into the daily lives of the ordinary men and woman who served for it, or rose up against it.

However, perhaps the most defining legacy of the Romans in Britain lies away from the tall pillars, aesthetic colonnades and imposing parapets of the traditional tourist sites. This legacy resides in the seemingly mundane web of roads that were swiftly spun between Roman cities, their ports and outposts. These ancient tracks can be found sprawling throughout many of the old Roman territories, from the Northumberland national park to the arid Syrian deserts.

For many, these roads and pathways may feel like an ill-fitting conclusion to one of the most prolific empires in human history. Roman roads can seem unassuming when compared to the most popular historical sites. The Vindolanda fort was demolished and rebuilt nine times to keep up with the dramatic pace of military evolution. Similarly, the grand Roman palace at Fishbourne was built on an area of land larger than Buckingham Palace, and accommodated many of the same luxuries of modernity, like underfloor heating and hot water. Both are far more obvious adverts for Rome’s dominance of antiquity. Amidst this great history, why would one care to read about the paths that the Roman legionaries marched on, the roads that bore the weight of their trade, or the streets on which their emperors paraded? But, to ignore Rome’s roads is to ignore the story that explains the military advancements at Vindolanda, or the wealth and luxury at Fishbourne. In fact, Rome’s roads constitute the most remarkable culmination of its technological, logistical and bureaucratic achievements. Even a brief understanding of the history and significance of Roman roads will enrich your walking tour of Britain, and make you think twice about what really constitutes imperial power. Read on to find out more about the history of Roman roads in Britain, what makes them so special, and what we can learn from them.

Of course, the Romans were far from the first peoples to construct roads.

An Introduction to the Romans in Britain

In 55 BC Julius Caesar launched the first Roman invasion of Britain. Landing on the pebbled beaches of Kent with the company of only two legions at his side, Caesar had massively underestimated the strength of the local tribes, and was forced into a swift retreat back to the continent. In 54 BC Caesar tried again with a much larger force, setting out for the island with a fleet of ships supposedly numbering 800. Though this invasion was initially successful, as Caesar’s legions moving swiftly through southern Britain, a wave of new revolts across the continent threatened Roman power in Europe, which, together with strong guerrilla resistance in Britain, made sustained occupation untenable.

The First Roman Roads

How Were Roman Roads Constructed?

The standard Roman road would first be mapped and planned by a handful of expert engineers using a groma, an instrument resembling a wooden cross, that helped line up the road in a straight line. Then, builders, slaves or soldiers would dig out two parallel drainage ditches, around two meters apart, through which the road would run. The soil from these excavations would then be used to build up the ground between the ditches into a raised section, called the agger. The mounded agger was then covered with metalling, a process whereby large stones would be rammed into the earth. This created a firm base on-top of which smaller stones and gravel would be poured and compacted onto. If the engineers chose to stop construction at this point, then the road would be referred to as a metalled road. Some roads, depending on the local environment, the importance of road and local wealth, were constructed with culverts – basically drainage channels – that ran beneath the road and helped to keep it dry.

Size did matter, and the wider the Roman road the richer the region, and the more important the route. A standard metalled road would be about 20 pedes wide, an ancient measurement that roughly equals two lanes of a modern motorway. This was designed to accommodate two-wheeled horse drawn vehicles, the basis of internal trade in the Roman empire. However, Watling street, the first Roman road that ran to Londinium, was an important route. Not only did it carry most of the trade from the southern ports northwards into the capital, but it also marked the route of the successful campaign of Britain. Therefore, the road was extended in width to 34 pedes in places, the equivalent to five lanes of a modern motorway. Clearly, roads were more than just pathways for trade. Roman roads were designed as a status symbol, a reflection of power and wealth. And so if the Romans used their roads to prove their authority, then it makes sense to take a step back, and try to understand why roads – the most basic form of infrastructure – were deemed to be so important. To answer this question, it helps to first understand why none of Rome’s successors could match their roads.

Why Did Road-Building Stop with the Romans?

Rome’s exit from Britain was a painful and slow process. Towards the end of the 4th century, much of the empire was under attack, and so most of the legionaries in Britain were sent back to defend the Italian heartlands. Eventually, the steady shipments of pay, in the form of imported gold, to the remaining soldiers ceased, and with it the central Roman authority collapsed. The roads were generally left to crumble away, and by the 6th century it was common to see of travelers walk on either side of an old roman road, at that point preferring the soft grassy banks to the central rubble.