Along Britain’s Roman roads, stone milestones were placed at regular intervals. These milestones provided distance markers and often featured inscriptions that provided information about the road’s construction and funding.
The Roman Conquest of Britain brought massive changes to the life of people in the British Isles. Rome brought with them a new language, culture, governmental system, and knowledge of building and infrastructure.
One particularly noteworthy addition to the countryside under Roman occupation was the construction of vast and well built road networks. The Romans transformed trackways into well engineered roads that were used by traders, armies and everyday travellers.
Over the four centuries that Rome maintained its presence in Britain, these roads were kept in good condition and upkeep of road networks was a high priority for Roman officials.
Contents
- How were Roman Roads Made?
- Maintaining Britain’s Roman Roads
- The Roman Roads of Britain
- What Happened to Britain’s Roman Roads
- Roads After the Roman Period
- Travelling in the Footsteps of Romans
However, after Rome left the British Isles, many of these roads began to fall into disrepair as Britain entered a tumultuous time in its history. The systemic road maintenance that was undertaken during the Roman occupation ceased.
It would not be until centuries later that paved roads would be built across Britain on a widespread scale, or that a nationally managed road network system would be created in Britain.
How Were Roman Roads Made?
The roads that the Romans built were more than just mere trackways, but were a well thought-out work of engineering. Roads were designed to create easy transportation and movement of people, with everything from traders and merchants, to soldiers and everyday Roman citizens using the Roman road network.
Read More: Ridgeways, our Prehistoric Road System Before Roman Roads
Constructed with practicality in mind, Roman roads in Britain mirrored the Roman road networks that had been built by the Roman Empire across the European continent. The central carriageway of Roman roads was constructed on a raised embankment known as an agger.
Soft topsoil was removed and the road was laid with either sand that could compact to create a harder surface or gravel, if available in the local area.
Either side of the agger would often have ditches dug, this was so that rainwater would run off the raised embankment and into the ditches, preventing water from pooling on the road in periods of wet weather.
Solid and Stable Surface
Roads, particularly along important routes, were metalled. This process involved creating a layer of stones that was then compacted with flint and gravel.
Read More: The Forgotten Roman Roads
In some rarer instances, roads were even built using limestone mortar, or an early form of concrete. In Roman Britain’s iron producing areas, some roads were built using iron slag.
Different segments of roads were designed to be used for different purposes. The centre carriageway, which was generally built with a hard, compacted surface, was designed to create a stable roadway for carts and other horse-drawn vehicles.
Meanwhile, the land on either side of the agger, between the ditch and the central carriageway was designed to be used by pedestrians and animals.
Rome even created maps, itineraries and milestones to help aid travellers along the Roman road networks of Britain.
Maintaining The Network
The Romans went to extensive lengths to ensure their roads were well maintained. Many of the major Roman roads in Britain were first made by the Roman army, and building these roads allowed troops and weaponry to be moved around the country efficiently.
Read More: How Were Roman Roads Built?
It was often the responsibility of the imperial officials to ensure the roads remained in good condition. Funding for this maintenance was also likely sourced from governing bodies through which the roadway crossed.
Roman roads, particularly on major routes, were frequently resurfaced to ensure they remained fit for use. In some cases roads were even entirely rebuilt to ensure high quality road networks were maintained across the ancient countryside.
The Roman Roads of Britain
The network of roads that Rome installed in Britain was a huge undertaking. Paved trunk roads constructed across Britain by the Romans covered an estimated 2,000 miles. These ancient roads formed some of the main trade, military and migration arteries across ancient Britain.
In some instances, the Romans built roads along existing trackways, utilising already established movement channels and improving them with more sophisticated road building techniques. In other cases, new roads were built entirely from scratch, carving new passageways across the countryside.
Read More: A Trip Along Watling Street, The Longest Roman Road in Britain
The first Roman roads in Britain were built to link military bases, allowing troops, equipment, and information to easily spread between military camps. However, as the Roman occupation of Britain continued, roads soon spread to link most of the major Roman centres.
During the age of Roman Britain, London, then known as Londinium, and York, then known as Eburacum, were linked by road networks, and it was possible to travel on Roman roads from southern ports all the way to modern day Scotland.
The longest Roman road in Britain, Watling Street, stretches over 270 miles, while other major passageways also reached hundreds of miles across the ancient countryside.
What Happened to the Roads
For close to four hundred years Rome built and maintained its vast and impressive road networks across its British territories. However, in 410 AD, the Roman occupation of Britain ended.
Of course, when Rome withdrew from the British Isles much of the infrastructure they had built during their four centuries of occupation, remained. This included towns and cities, defensive structures, and roads.
Many of these passages remained in use, and the routes of some Roman roads have even loosely become the road links of today.
Roman roads were so well used, even after Rome left, that they inspired some of the place names still in use today. The prefix strat, stret or streat as seen in place names such as Stretham, was given to settlements formed near the leftover remains of Roman roads. Stretham actually translates to mean homestead or village on a Roman road.
Read More: Crop Marks, Natures’ History Trail
The town of Streford is another good example of a place name that references old Roman routes, with the name of the town translating to mean ford on a Roman road.
Some Disappeared Entirely
However, while they may have remained in use, the meticulous construction and maintenance of these roads ceased. Without maintenance, many roads began to fall into disrepair and some disappeared entirely.
Once again Britain became a place with more muddy trackways than well maintained roads constructed with an engineering mindset.
Part of the reason for these roads falling into disrepair comes down to the fact that the Romans operated with a highly organised central government system that Britain didn’t independently have in place.
Read More: The Largest Pre-Historic Hillforts you Should Visit
There were organised hierarchies and expectations for the activities different members of the community would undertake. To put it simply, it was expected that someone would oversee maintaining the roads and who that someone was for each area knew this was their job.
There were systems to fund the construction and maintenance of roads and people that were knowledgeable in how to build and maintain these roads.
Power Struggle
While Rome may have left behind its road networks when it left Britain, it didn’t leave behind these pre-formed central power hierarchies and role responsibilities. There was no longer a centralised system for maintaining, planning and constructing road networks.
This lack of centralised organisation meant that, quite simply, no one maintained the roads and no one was building new roads in the same way as the Romans. As such, Roman roads began to fall into disrepair.
In some instances, stones from Roman roads were even ripped up to be used in the construction of buildings and other local infrastructure such as walls and buildings.
After the Roman Period
After the Romans left Britain in the fifth century, Britain entered a tumultuous time in its history. The power vacuum created by the departure of Rome created internal power struggles and encouraged foreign invaders to arrive on Britain’s shores.
Read More: Do You Live Near One? Turnpike Roads & Cottages
Various kingdoms rose across the countryside in the Anglo-Saxon era with independent rulers and systems of government. Eventually, when these kingdoms were united and England was formed, the maintenance of road networks was not a high priority.
While there were efforts throughout history to maintain roads to a certain level, this usually fell short of the road building efforts of the Romans. A nationally managed highway system was also lacking.
The Roman road network was the first recorded nationally managed road system in the British Isles, and the next nationally managed road network system would not be formed until as late as the twentieth century with the formation of the Ministry of Transport.
Read More: Meare Heath Trackway: A Bronze Age Structure
Meanwhile, while Roman roads were constructed with the use of stone and many were metalled, the widespread construction of paved roads in Britain wouldn’t be seen again until the 1700s.
Travelling in the Footsteps
The road Networks created by the Romans was a core part of the infrastructure of Roman Britain. These roads assisted in the efficient transportation of goods, allowed greater levels of migration and helped Roman troops to more efficiently move to where they were needed.
Roads were well built and well maintained under the Roman government and a system resembling the nationally managed road networks created by Rome would not be seen again until centuries later.
At the departure of Rome, despite Roman roads still seeing extensive use, they began to fall into disrepair. Without a clear centralised system for maintenance, the upkeep of road networks ceased and many Roman roads were lost to history.
The legacy of these roads lives on in the transport networks across Britain, with the routes of some Roman roads still loosely translating to some of the major roads still in use today.
So, while the roads built by the Romans may have fallen into disrepair, when roaming the roads of Britain it is still possible that you just may be travelling in the footsteps of the Romans.
Ten key points about Roman roads:
- Engineering Expertise: Roman roads were known for their exceptional engineering and durability. They were designed to last for centuries.
- Straight and Well-Planned: Romans preferred straight roads whenever possible. They used tools like the groma and dioptra for accurate surveying and leveling.
- Foundation Layers: Roman roads typically had multiple layers, including a foundation of large stones or gravel, a layer of smaller stones, and a top layer of carefully fitted, interlocking stones called “pavement stones.”
- Drainage Systems: Roman roads had sophisticated drainage systems, including ditches and culverts, to manage rainwater and prevent erosion.
- Milestones: The Romans placed milestones (mile markers) along their roads, which helped travelers measure distances and navigate. Some milestones still exist today.
- Standard Width: Roman roads generally had a standard width of about 4.8 meters (15.75 feet), wide enough to allow two carts to pass each other comfortably.
- Roman Bridges: Roman roads often included bridges made of stone or concrete. These were crucial for crossing rivers and valleys.
- Network: The Romans built an extensive road network, connecting their vast empire. Major roads radiated from Rome, which was at the center.
- Speed and Efficiency: Roman roads facilitated the rapid movement of troops, goods, and information across the empire, contributing to its cohesion and success.
- Legacy: Many ancient Roman roads still exist today, and some modern roads follow the routes of their ancient counterparts. Roman road-building techniques influenced road construction for centuries to come.
