How to Find a Roman Road, with a Marker Pen!

We decided to get back on the Roman Road trail this week. Its been a lot of fun researching this video and many many hours in the making. I really hope that's its come across as intended! Who knows.
Forgive the odd continuity error, we did visit here twice!
Music: Paid license: Artlist.io.
Track: ANBR - The Beginning.
Maps: Media License through OS
All maps Crown Copyright Ordnance Survey (OS) 2020.
Thanks also to all those that helped and gave ideas during the research, to many to list but you know who you are.

[@nilo70]

Thank you again for taking me with you today! Cheers!

[@syncrosimon]

Finally someone who stares at maps as much as I do, OS maps the best read before bed, or any time really.......then there’s the 6 inch 1888 hmmmm.😆😆🇬🇧🇬🇧

[@cogidubnus1953]

In my experience very few couples succeed so well at sharing their interests - hope you both know how lucky you are...and we all gain greatly by it...thank you!

[@pwhitewick]

A moderate tolerance of each others obsessions definitely works.

[@arilebon]

Came here for the railways -- staying for much more. Appreciate all your fabalous research and presentation.

[@pwhitewick]

Thank you Hari. Welcome to the channel.

[@timhancock6626]

It's amazing how many Roman roads and landscaping are still identifiable. We have a complete Roman ford through a river near here made of dressed stone blocks with metal ties that are retained in their locating holes by poured lead. Once again it was part of a lead route from mines in the Pennine hills leading to a major garrison. What is tantalising is that there are records of some of the battles the Romans fought in Northern England ( we think)....but nobody knows quite where they were fought.

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Tim, and thanks for sharing, love a good mystery, though I guess that one is something you arent going to find out quickly.

[@chrisb012]

Love this sort of thing! Thanks for bunging up here!!

[@pwhitewick]

Cheers Christopher. Certainly caught in my net of interest too.

[@streetscrambler8075]

Can’t understand why it wasn’t that popular, l just watched and found it very interesting 👍

[@pwhitewick]

Thank you, we loved making it too.

[@Drivershell53]

most enjoyable, different from the usual videos but non the less interesting. keep up the good work.

[@pwhitewick]

Ah thank you.

[@francischurch4460]

The vast majority of people don't see what is around them sadly. I see some amazing sites from the cab of my lorry. Thank you both for doing this wonderful videos and bringing our past to our attention.

[@terryansell6641]

Very interesting video as always thank you from NZ

[@spookerd]

A video on your channel about Roman roads is like a prime rib roast. A rare treat and something I savor till the next.

[@pwhitewick]

Haha, thanks Evan.

[@JalanBax]

Finally! Another Map Mysteries I’ve waited 2 months for another episode!

[@pwhitewick]

Haha... We've another lined up for March. Only a month to go for the next one

[@rossdtool]

Old maps are so interesting, for some reason. Finding old waterways or roads is like solving a mystery. I found a 50 year old Melways at my old school and I studied it for hours.

[@womble321]

Google earth/maps has been updated take a look.

[@mikepowell2776]

Uneducated?! From applied research and practical experience you probably know about as much of this subject as anyone on the planet -both of you. Minor point of advice, in weather like that wear a hat. Excellent video as always. Many thanks.

[@hqqns]

Lot's of straight roads cross here in Australia. I did not know that the Romans came this far south, wow you learn something every day.

[@ATtravel666]

I'm sure we can team up to push a conspiracy theory that the Roman invasion of Australia is being covered up by historians who are afraid of the truth and to protect their careers. We can make a killing from books, conferences and a youtube channel pulling the shit from our backsides and we will never have to do a day's legitimate work again!

[@DavidArcuri]

Please do more roman roads. I enjoy English history vicariously.

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks David, we love the Roman roads too, likely a few more to come I am sure.

[@paulthegardener82]

Great video. Always enjoy your videos on this topic. Keep up great work.

[@pwhitewick]

Cheers Paul

[@69waveydavey]

Nothing wrong with questioning "Academics". I went to uni as a mature student, I found some of them clueless without a shred of common sense, totally lost in real world situations. Keep up the good work!

[@whysa4]

Yes had a neighbour like that, he was a lecturer , but in the real word a right Frank Spencer

[@ATtravel666]

Again, academics need to be questioned and their theories tested. Nothing wrong with that, the difficulty is when people pull shit from their arse to make a living from the gullible like the ancient aliens arse holes. I came across a bloke pushing the "academics are lying about pyramid construction" in a youtube vid. He had his own pet "theory", about how the pyramids were built using water engineering to transport the building materials. He was even flogging a book. His theory was complete bullshit because we have so much evidence for the construction of the pyramids - organisational records, physical remains of buildings and tomb paintings. Theories that use the available evidence - like Jean-Pierre Houdin are fine. He maybe right or not. Pulling turds from your bottom like the ancient aliens muppets, is positively destructive.

[@HoxieDan5369]

Love Roman roads! Please keep dropping these side trips in.

[@pwhitewick]

Cheers Danny. We love them too

[@fabled-pilgrim]

First off, great video, great research ... and you're both fun to watch! Secondly, thought you might be interested to know that in the course of some research of my own using high res LiDAR map tiles I was also looking at this route recently and had also come to the same conclusion. The LiDAR is very convincing and way more sensible of a route IMO. Cheers!

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks! The earthworks on that hill are quite mad.

[@anvilbrunner.2013]

Nice people, well matched. The lime kiln sure looked Roman. But then they all look similar until the industrial age. Good Luck both of you in your quest.

[@pwhitewick]

Ah was that a Lime Kiln!... studiedly didn't consider that!

[@anvilbrunner.2013]

@@pwhitewick The Romans introduced lime kilns & the familiar corbeled arches as seen in the structure, though it's design is late Roman. The structure there employed mortar & if there are broken shells in the mix; We can call it Roman. Closer inspection required there but by it's design i'd say the odds are on for a significantly later construction date. I'd put money on there being no shells in the mortar.

[@bobparsons77]

Lots of interesting research there. Well done. Bob Alberta.

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Bob. Become a bit of a rabbit hole, didn't know when to stop!

[@robertmartindale563]

This is me, my interest started with green lanes, the ones we walked where I lived as a child (my neighbour remembers them when they were surfaced) it progressed to disused railway lines, roman roads, and any old building/groundwork, I can't pass anything like this without looking and researching it.

[@pwhitewick]

Absolutely get what you mean there Robert. I've become quite a bore to my immediate family!! 😬🤪

[@zGJungle]

I spend many hours on google earth looking at lines of old Roman road routes, great for looking for hillforts and other earthworks too.

[@flightimage845]

So, just what have the Romans ever done for us? Well, spawned some interesting You Tube videos. Loved this one!

[@alistairshaw3206]

Interesting video, Paul and Rebecca. I don't know much about Roman roads in Scotland, but I will tell you about a place in Scotland with a connection to Roman culture, no, not Antonine's wall, but LIX tell, near Killin. There was also a branch line to Killin. LIX toll comes from, L for legion, 1X from Roman numerals, nine. Lix toll was the furthest North, the 9th legion got, they then disappeared, murdered by the Scots.

[@lotsofspots]

Roman roads definitely count under the old railways umbrella! There's that (admittedly dubious) story about the standard gauge width being based on the wheel-ruts from a Roman chariot, after all.

[@pwhitewick]

Ah yes very dubious indeed. Gareth Dennis did a long piece on his #RailwaysExplained which went through every aspect of it and debunked most.

[@hubertvancalenbergh9022]

I'm always interested in forgotten bits anent Merrie Olde England. I'm particularly keen on ghostly lore (stretches of wood shunned by the locals etc.), which you're bound to stumble on sooner or later. Good job.

[@TheUphillracer]

I’ve good ones from around Shelsley Walsh and Shelsley Beauchamp in Worcestershire.

[@hubertvancalenbergh9022]

@@TheUphillracer I'm curious. Care to elaborate?

[@TheUphillracer]

Hubert Van Calenbergh my email is Uphillracer at gmail .com no spaces. I’ll reply to your message

[@nightriviera]

Another fascinating video. Thank you. And I love the ever-timely reminders to question authority and to allow for one's own voice/practice to be as valid as anybody else's. You two are positively punkrock!

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Paul, very kind.

[@AngloCelticMetalDetecting]

Very apt this subject for me. Thanks for sharing.

[@lindamccaughey8800]

Well knowing nothing about Roman roads I will take your theory on. Enjoyed the walk with you, just love your enthusiasm. Thanks for taking me along

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Linda, new to us too!

[@mesnilman2327]

Really enjoyed that! Always want to learn, and I definitely did there. Thanks to both of you.

[@pwhitewick]

Cheers Chris.

[@333jtj]

Really nice video. Great amount of research and effort that you put in. Thank you. I enjoy these more than the abandoned railways. I love walking and maps so this is perfect. Looking forward to the next one.

[@Nigel58]

Really interesting. Thank you 👍

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Nigel. Much appreciated.

[@ColinH1973]

Very interesting change, but conducted with the enthusiasm we have come to expect from you both! Places with the word 'Cold' in them often have a link to Roman roads, as there would be some sort of shelter against inclement weather on exposed routes like the one you are on. A most obvious example is the proliferation of 'Cold Harbours' on the landscape. Thought-provoking as ever!! 👍

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Colin, thats a really interesting point about the word "Cold". We never knew this so didn't consider it at all in the production.

[@lindaleOO9]

An interesting explore. The lack of physical evidence suggests that both these routes were not full blown military grade paved surfaces and probably utilised the former Iron Age trackways. In approaching a liminal area these Iron Age routes were known to fan out much as unpaved roads in Medieval and later times. Effectively the 'road' disappears - so no surprise our expert on Roman Roads keeps his mouth (and his pen) shut. There is no Roman Road at this point.

[@pwhitewick]

Fascinating topic I know very little about, essentially the research leads you down a million pieces of guesswork.

[@lindaleOO9]

@@pwhitewick Welcome to archaeology. Put an archaeologist in a hole and you always get a story, put two archaeologists in the same hole (trench) and you can be sure of three stories! Keep exploring.

[@raytheron]

Fascinating!

[@antmerritt]

Nooooo! 😕I was disappointed it wasn’t an abandoned station, at first. 🤔 However, WHAT A GREAT VIDEO!!!!!! 😁 🥳 The road going out of the Deverills you point out as unlikely having one ditch. From the shot it could be an Earth work like a HaHa or other land division based on ownership and management. I agree why would an engineer (Roman or otherwise) go the harder route when a short distance away is a equally viable route?👍 The barrow point is interesting as it ties in with a theory that John Barnatt (Peak District authority archaeologists) put to me once. Barrows would show lineage and claim for people to an area. Be visible on high ground. They were definitely visited and the ancestral remains handled by the descendants on a regular basis. So a route nearby crossing the landscape could naturally form part of the Roman road even if they just used it to survey the route. More importantly you raise the conceit of the established thinking that sometimes, cements speculation as fact because of laziness or lack of real interest. So glad you made this video. “You gotta fight the power! Fight the power that....” er, tells us our history? 🤣 ( I apologise for the long comment and terrible Public Enemy parody!) 😁👍👊

[@ATtravel666]

You said "I agree why would an engineer (Roman or otherwise) go the harder route when a short distance away is a equally viable route?" There is a difficulty there. Yes, the Romans were really practical engineers. Yes, sometimes going the harder route does not make sense. Sometimes however, the idea of sticking to the template could be of more importance than practicality. Sometimes they would use a sledgehammer to crack a nut. There is a famous milecastle on Hadrian's Wall, built to provide access for soldiers to the north non Roman side. The problem with the gate was it was built with the gateway leading to a cliff with a sudden drop. The milecastle was built there because it was the right distance and the cliff be damned.

[@ATtravel666]

To add, sometimes rather than diverge from the quickest 'military' route from A to B, a road would tackle a steep gradient. The Sarn Helen Roman road running from Neath (Roman Nidum) to Brecon Gaer Roman fort on it's way up through Wales has an example. There is a section to the north of Ystradfellte that tackles a steep gradient rather than divert to go around the side of a hill.

[@AlexanderWright1]

Awesome music on this video!

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Alexander, been meaning to use this for a long time!

[@johnsparkes8963]

Another great and interesting vlog, thank you for sharing.

[@grenfellroad8394]

Great video. Well done 👍

[@thewhiteroom23]

Fascinating. Please do more Roman roads! Glad I am not the only one who stares at OS maps and Sat images looking for lines in the fields joining up places. A lot of old roads seem to go unmarked on OS maps.

[@TheSynthnut]

For armchair research, I used to find the Bing Maps "Birds Eye View" was a very handy tool. It often gives four compass point oblique views under differing angles of sun which can reveal hidden or subtle features. Sadly it's not available for the particular location in question here as far as I can see. They made it harder to find the function too, its moved to a right click option. That and the transparency slider in the NLS maps geo-referenced 25" series!

[@douglasfleetney5031]

Wow! Another great video of interest. These old road videos are wonderful. I have spent may hours with Google Earth tracing a few Roman roads here in Kent. I find that in a few cases the modern hedge lines follow very close to the line of the roads (Eastry to Dover being the clearest). Keep these coming. Thanks again.

[@britishreaction54]

Very interesting. Thank you for all the hard work you put in!

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Carl.

[@andywelburn432]

Thank you both for an interesting video.

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Andy

[@hoppinonabronzeleg9477]

Well done, I think you should write a letter to Historic England. You may well be right. If only Mick Aston was still alive, and we could get Tony Robinson interested. Maybe a one off time team special with 3 trenches in 48 hours may clinch it!

[@cogidubnus1953]

Kidding aside, that was just the sort of thing Time Team was so well-equipped to do

[@bobingram6912]

Luv it when you go roman about disprooving the straight line theory!!

[@pwhitewick]

Ah yes, the straight line wasn't always straight.

[@raphaelnikolaus0486]

Great work!. A(nother) piece of art.

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Rafael

[@leeclift4666]

Great vblog really interesting following the roman roads. The book is rare as hens teeth looking forward to more of the same cheers.

[@saltleywsc]

Lovin your History searches !!

[@pwhitewick]

Cheers Merv we love the search too

[@peebee143]

Really like that bit of narrative at the start of this vid, Paul.

[@pwhitewick]

Ah thank you.

[@keithevans7996]

Thanks so much for your episode 'How to find a Roman road, with a marker pen'. A few years ago I purchased a book called 'A Lost Roman Road ' by Bernard Berry. He tried to trace to line of the Roman road from Bath to Poole. With my partner Caroline we spent many happy hours following his book and trying to find evidence of the road. Got a bit stuck on Cold Kitchen Hill' so was pleased to watch your episode which looked at where the road went over the hill. Like you I have my own theory about where it went and Google earth does show a shadow curving round the hill which I found very interesting. It's an amazing area and well worth a visit. I think Bernard Berry book is still available online. I know Margarys book is as I bought a copy a couple of years ago. Cost me over a hundred pounds but worth every penny!!

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Keith, I won't tell you that I found a copy on ebay for £6.45! Its a fascinating area for sure with lots of guess work from various sources.

[@keithevans7996]

Oh dear looks like I was really taken to the cleaners!!! That was the Margaret book you got and not the Berry book. Love your series on lost railways and Roman roads. My favourite railway line is the Somerset and Dorset and I've tramped up and down the closed line using Mac Hawkins book 'The Somerset and Dorset Then and now '.

[@pwhitewick]

@@keithevans7996 to be fair that took me two months to find. Every other copy was £95 plus

[@keithevans7996]

Sorry me again. Would love your opinion on something that shows up on Google earth on cold kitchen hill. It's a shadow in the field which shows a curving track running down just east of the long Barrow and tumulus. It's marked on the os map as a ditch but having followed many Roman Roads on Google earth it looks very Roman to me, clearly showing the width of the road in a light colour and to either side the dark drainage ditches typical of Roman road construction. The road, or ditch, points north towards the farm below Cold Kitchen hill and easy to follow the contours of the hill. This has bothered me for years and I've not been able to clarify if it is or isn't the Roman Road over the hill. I know you're busy guys but any ideas?

[@keithevans7996]

For easy read East!!

[@greghilton7797]

Brilliant

[@MrLargePig]

Well, apparently your research has something that the other sources lacked- feet on the ground. This is not to impugn their scholarship, just to point out that it was probably impossible to be familiar with every antiquarian roadway in Britain, and still have time to write a book about it. The fact that you are there, and observing the existing layout, lends your theory a certain weight. Well done, and Carry on.

[@davidbrookman8782]

Brilliant guys!! When will do the lost Roman road Charterhouse to Uphill possibly the other direction of the lead road?

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks David. Next up is Route 44!

[@Bender24k]

Good stuff - thanks! No Roman roads here in New York that's for sure LOL!

[@peterbradford5987]

Great Video

[@lorenzohermoso1085]

Ooh, fascinating. Thanks. Yes clearly a bit of work went into this. My mother in law lives at Gare Hill just to the west of Maiden Bradley. Er, that's it.

[@pwhitewick]

Lol, thanks Lorenzo.

[@carolinegray3150]

Nice video 🚂🚶🏼‍♂️🚶🏼‍♀️

[@captainmargaret6235]

Another brilliant vid

[@RichardWells1]

Really love your forays into historic map mysteries, which you present with so much enthusiasm - and research! So interesting I wanted to grab an OS map from the bookshelf. (Not a map geek...am I?) It's important to know the history behind how our landscape looks today! Thank you!

[@martynridley513]

Excellent, really enjoy the use of maps. Would you pause on the maps longer so I can orient myself better.

[@pwhitewick]

Tricky one that Martyn, we would love to but we are only allowed short snippets under the license terms from OS.

[@davidcutts2650]

Intriguing 🤔. Like your interesting theory. 👍👍

[@pwhitewick]

Different, and until I'm proved otherwise....

[@ianjackson7876]

good interesting video both...

[@jmorrow6913]

You might want to look at LIDAR aerial remote sensing material. It makes visible things you cannot see in regular aerial photos or on the ground.

[@pwhitewick]

Would you believe me if I told you the 20% of the country not covered by LiDAr includes this section... 😭

[@jmorrow6913]

@@pwhitewick With 80% coverage you are doing better then us. I am in Connecticut, one of the very few states in the U.S.A with complete LiDar coverage.

[@jayeme1483]

I've enjoyed this twice , indulge yourself while I pray for an alternative to youtube .

[@AMPHICARSdotCOM]

Brilliant. Well researched. Thank you

[@kaymorrice8141]

Fascinating

[@TheSynthnut]

Excellent stuff! Some good points made and interesting about HE's odd assumption, I have very serious doubts about some of HE's competence, a certain debacle regarding a tunnel comes to mind too.

[@bullettube9863]

As Phil Harding used to say on "Time Team": "It's not just what you find, but what you don't find that is important". And this totally exemplifies that truism. It's too bad the Romans didn't make better maps, or should I say the Saxons? The Normans? But the Roman roads do have a standard look due to their standardized construction techniques, so if you don't find the ditch you probably haven't a Roman road.

[@willsgetoff1157]

Fascinating vlog thanks guys. Seems another one for time team if only they were still going.

[@HenrysAdventures]

Fascinating video! Looks like a pleasant walk to!

[@philthycat1408]

If a Roman road was going along a slope, surely they wouldn't need to have a ditch on the lower side.

[@pwhitewick]

I think that's about right. They refereed to the main aggar as a terrace.

[@johnhealy8513]

By the way Mr Whitewick the name of the guy who did the famous Roman Road book was Mar - gar - y as in Ma ga ree! He was a friend of my dad!

[@pwhitewick]

Excellent. Nice gent I'm guessing.

[@johnhealy8513]

According to my dad he was. Did you and Rebecca know that there is a link between Roman Roads and Railways?

[@pwhitewick]

@@johnhealy8513 if it's about a horse's bum I think it is all a bit of non science

[@johnhealy8513]

horse's bum my a**e it is all to do with the fact that the standard gauge for railways is 4'8.5" and the distance between the wheels of a Roman Cart was 4'8.5".

[@pwhitewick]

@@johnhealy8513 here you go: twitter.com/GarethDennis/status/1179351491045400577

[@john3Lee]

That was interesting - Thank you..

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks John, quite a fascinating project.

[@lukehewitt9750]

Paul and Rebecca.. You are not "un educated Me" lol you are very clever... I am interested in finding old viking and roman campsites near rivers as I want to start river diving.. Any advice on how to find these settlements near rivers please.?? Many thanks x

[@RichardFelstead1949]

I'm enjoying your Roman through the Gloaman.

[@Akenaye]

Hi Paul, You should come check out Dere Street on the Scotland side of the border,

[@pwhitewick]

We might just!

[@Leonard_Smith]

Now that the rubicon has been crossed with regard to original theories, I can't wait for Rebecca's First Proclamation...

[@muddyfox4x4]

Very interesting video! Traveled down the A5 (Watling street) Roman road just north of Milton Keynes to Leighton Buzzard, dont think the romans had planned it would be a four lane bypass for Milton Keynes 🤔🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@davie941]

hey paul and rebecca , well done , i loved this one , well researched , ps loved the bit at the very end lmao :)

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Davie.

[@suzyqualcast6269]

For whatever it may matter, those Romans were lifting the lead over from Milltown /Ashover to wet town of Aqua Buxton.

[@colinvincent6599]

I explored cold kitchen hill by pushbike a couple of years ago. Lots to look at and found what seemed like defensive earthworks west of there on a hill overlooking the a303.

[@pwhitewick]

Close to Mere?

[@colinvincent6599]

The Whitewicks I just looked on google maps and it is called white sheet camp ?

[@pwhitewick]

Yup never been up there myself but would like to tell it's story soon. Fascinating landscape

[@barrywalser2384]

These are fascinating!

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Barry, glad you liked it.b

[@mikego18753]

What have they ever done for us? Good vid.thumbs up ect. ps. glad a ditch was mentioned.

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Mike. Ditch??

[@michaelpilling9659]

Very interesting

[@GrrMeister]

*I mistakenly perhaps set my Sat-Nav to 'nearest route' and it instructed me to cross rivers and maintain a straight line course throughout farmyards and 7'0" wide tracks that actually took me 3½ Hours longer than the Google Maps Direct Best route. In future blow off the Romans and will entrust Google Maps to put me on correct courses.*

[@gaugeonesteam]

Can I ask you: What/who was the music in your Basingstoke and Alton railway video? I think you've produced a very good series of videos on subjects close to my heart. Have you ever visited the old mineral railways in Purbeck in Dorset? I'm from Poole and have walked these quite a lot. The longest one (about 5 miles) starts in the Swanage railway's park and ride at Norden and continues down to Poole Harbour. There is also a very good book in these lines by Chris Legg.

[@pwhitewick]

Hi Robin, many thanks. The song is: kzbin.info/www/bejne/r5m8f5dmqJaHjdU

[@gaugeonesteam]

Thanks!! keep up your great work on the UK's railway heritage.

[@Sim0nTrains]

Very interesting video, gave it a like.

[@davidcollins9512]

And it looks like there are 11 people in Australia & NZ that gave it an upside down like!

[@Sim0nTrains]

David Collins the 👎🏻 is the most useless thing on KZbin, sadly I get it sometimes but try and not let it bother me.

[@Sim0nTrains]

David Collins the 👎🏻 is the most useless thing on KZbin, sadly I get it sometimes but try and not let it bother me.

[@iancaveney5134]

I suspect someone could make an entertaining channel exploring Britain's ancient trackways and old roads. I enjoyed this although I did have to turn the heating up a notch. 👍

[@Crepello100]

I recon some bits of Roman roads went out of use really quick. To begin with their roads were more about soldiers going from A to B by the shortest route, and high up to avoid risk of attack. That would place the Lead Road along the top of Brimsdown Hill (also a prehistoric ridgeway). But soon after, someone carting lead through a peaceful land would prefer to bypass the blumin' hill, simply by routing slightly to the south. The now very iffy section could therefore have disappeared very early in the Roman era, replaced by a route maybe not constructed by the military, so not easily defineable as a Roman road? Lidar might be able to solve this one - I wonder if anyone's tried that?

[@pwhitewick]

Wonderful thank you. Yes Lidar was on my mind too sadly NLS have mapped 78% of the country and guess what.... this bit is in the 22%!

[@MrBook123456]

great video

[@MrJtappin]

You have access to images with parch marks that the older surveyors didn't have, so you may well have found a road. Where you are has many ancient roads and settlements though. Several of the theories may be true, not just one!

[@pwhitewick]

That's a very good point. Someone suggested there may have been an early military route followed by a later trade route

[@IainHC1]

Going on the research you've done so far......... `and admiring the systems you've researched..... Whats your opinion on HS2......... BUT from 100 years from now?

[@stripybadger9880]

I have to say this reminds me of old episodes of Time Team - not the tedious digging part, but the parts where Tony Robinson went off into the landscape to put the dig into context. Given the number of researchers and camera crew that would have gone into making a few minutes of Time Team, it's impressive that you're managing to create something just as enjoyable with just two people. Also did you bag the trig points on your way round?

[@pwhitewick]

Context is everything and I often struggle with that myself. Hopefully we are learning. At this time we don't tend to do trig points as such, maybe one day soon.

[@2H80vids]

Interesting stuff, as usual. I wonder if you'll get any response from Historic England. It just goes to show; just because it's in a guide book, it doesn't follow that it's accurate. All too often, we accept the written word as factual and, unless someone challenges the mis-information, it spreads and is accepted as true. I'm sure Historic England would prefer to publish facts and I'd be very interested to hear what they have to say. I wonder how much of their information is "flawed". Good research, better than theirs, it seems.👌 Cheers for now, Dougie.

[@phu010]

The Historic England listing states unequivocally that, "The road is represented by a cambered surface located upon an agger or bank 14m wide by 1.5m high." So it is definitely a Roman Road. Whether it is something to do with the Bath - Hamworthy route or is just a byway is a matter of speculation.

[@phu010]

Great video as usual. I fully understand where your coming from; it just makes the countryside so much more interesting when you have some understanding of why it looks the way it does. On a side note: I was interested in the name Cold Kitchen Hill and found a reference on the Victoria County History site www.victoriacountyhistory.ac.uk/explore/items/cold-kitchen-hill If as they suggest there was a great Celtic/Romano-British temple complex up there then there would have been a well established network of routes up on to the ridge by the time the Romans got here. My guess is that they just made use of the exiting routes at this point. That said looking at the historic imagery on Google Earth dated 4/2017 there does appear to be some linear feature along the line you suggest.

[@owencarlstrand1945]

Would I be correct in thinking that cutting a trench across a suspected Roman road would reveal the remains of the ditches either side, the various load bearing layers and if lucky enough possibly even some of the cobbles used in the wearing course? Not that I am suggesting you should go into the excavation business, but surely Historic England could, if they wished, prove themselves correct or otherwise. Great video by the way you must spend hours researching.

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Owen. A trench would help in my humble opinion as it would reveal changes in the soil layering and any local stones used to 'pave' along the way. And thank you for noticing the research. I would suggest this has consumed a lot of my spare time over the last month whilst filming, researching and editing other videos too 🤪

[@owencarlstrand1945]

I’m in the middle of my dissertation year on a Railway Studies MA course (average age of the students about 60) and the research is driving me bonkers so I know what it is like.

[@martinpook5707]

Interesting, enjoyed it. It seems odd that they didn't take lead either north to the Bristol Channel or south to Wareham. Where you show that someone drew in a zigzag that seems unlikely, int other places the Romans mapped out long sweeping curves around the contours rather than up a steep hill.

[@stephenpegum9776]

Ooh I do like an historic England controversy !! (Actually I can't think of any others TBH !! 😱) 😎👍👍 PS : I thought Aggers was the nickname of the BBC's cricket correspondent ??!!

[@owenrichardson1419]

Especially at the start of the video I think there is evidence of a career in voice over work on the cards!

[@pwhitewick]

hahaha, not if you knew how many takes that took!

[@owenrichardson1419]

@@pwhitewick please don't spoil the illusion 😉