How They Found a Lost Roman Road

[@davidratledge3530]

Darren, thanks for mentioning I spent over 40 years looking in the wrong place for this road! Well I got there in the end. Great video - many thanks. David

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you so much for your help with this and for finding it! Totally understand why everyone was trying to link to Street, and fascinating how those visible traces were not identified, because no one was looking there. I can imagine how exciting it was when you first spotted it in the LiDAR.

[@philcollinson328]

David ....You're legend ..thank you for all your dedication sir.

[@davidratledge3530]

@@philcollinson328 Many thanks but...... the fact that I spent 45 years looking in the wrong place brings me down to earth. Years ago I used to walk the pram in plain sight of the agger at Stonelands and never noticed. Perhaps the hedges were too high.

[@murrayedington]

The channel name just rolls off the tongue! Love this content, always enjoy your work.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

😂 yes it’s so memorable! Cheers.

[@eddavis1832]

My eldest grandson (age 7) is fascinated by maps and watches your videos with his Grampa all the time. So, you actually do have a “young demographic” of viewers and followers! Great content…thanks so much for sharing…CHEERS!!!🍻

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

That is so lovely. In the demographics on KZbin it shows the majority of my viewership to be in the 50s to 60s, but that doesn’t account for accompanied viewings. This has made my day. Cheers.

[@PaIaeoCIive1684]

A nephew (20s) was visiting when I was mid-way through one of your older videos and as I went to make a brew he became engrossed by your antics, but said he hasn't time (or the attention span) to sit and watch videos. You would attract young uns if they weren't obsessively playing noisy computer games or sending inane messages to each other in a strange dialect. Sadly, you're left with us leisure-rich oldies.

[@leslieaustin151]

Great video, and getting close to Long Preston! Thanks, that was a good documentation of a very useful bit of detective work. Les

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

@ yes Les, I’m not going to be able to avoid Long Preston for much longer!

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

@ we’ve got a few viewers who watch with their kids - which was a wonderful surprise to me when I found out!

[@tweedyoutdoors]

I watched this video first thing this morning and thought it was excellent, but alas before I could write a comment I was called away by various other commitments... and now I am finally free to return and try and address that shortcoming, yet alas in the interim I have consumed an ill-advised quantity of port. I fear my ability to provide detailed commentary has suffered a bit as a result. I still firmly believe this to be an outstanding video! I just might not be able to explain why I think that thoroughly until tomorrow.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

I can absolutely relate to your predicament, Tweedy! I believe you may be busy with an important mission tomorrow, and knowing what it entails, I'd have consumed an ill-advised quantity of port too. Good luck and take care!

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

@@WC21UKProductionsLtdOhhhh, how mysterious 😮🤔

[@tweedyoutdoors]

@@WC21UKProductionsLtd I actually think the port and the ensuing hangover helped! It gave me a sense of purpose during the filming. I really wanted that fry up!

[@andrewdolinskiatcarpathian]

Hi Darren. “Faint traces in remote places”. What better way to describe such an interesting exploration which certainly piqued my interest. Thanks to your efforts to produce such interesting videos I now look at the landscape with a different perspective and interest. I am in utter awe of the scale of Roman road building in Britain. 👏👏👍😀

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Hi Andrew and thank you! Very satisfying to get that sort of feedback. I feel the same about the Roman road network, it is incredible. Arguably we didn’t attempt anything like that again until the 18th century turnpikes.

[@nowthenzen]

And how do you recognize the aroma of special cigarettes yet decry the addled state that familiarity from which results?

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you kindly. That’s a good point! I’m struggling to answer without dropping anyone in it… the smell of that stuff is so strong nowadays.

[@Baloski46]

You are now officially one of the best parts of my Sunday's. Thank you.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

What a lovely thing to say. Thank you!

[@PaIaeoCIive1684]

Roaming Roman roads Rambunctious raconteur roves relentlessly Researching, recording, reviewing...roistering! Result: revelations regarding Roman road route. (What a load of rrrs) Another interesting ramble Mr Darren, thanks.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

I love that! Would be a challenge for Jonathan Ross!

[@PaIaeoCIive1684]

@@WC21UKProductionsLtd Yeah, or Michael Palin's Roman bloke in Life of Brian. Was in a silly mood earlier. I would say I could produce verse for each new WC21 video, but that would get annoying really quickly! Cheers.

[@CarolWoosey-ck2rg]

You mean the life of Bwian😅

[@1972tommyc]

Ah yes, “What did the Romans ever do for us?” 😂😂

[@PaIaeoCIive1684]

@@1972tommyc I rather loved their jaguars' earlobes, ocelots' livers and wrens' liver snacks. Yummy! Oh, and the roads, aqueducts, sanitation, wine....

[@a11oge]

Ace video - interesting and informative as they say. I can see that “Faint traces in remote places” might be you new YT user name.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Cheers! That just came out and wasn't planned. It would be a good name for the channel as opposed to the pretentious one it has!!

[@pwhitewick]

Brilliant stuff, Darren and David.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Cheers Paul. LiDAR was such a game changer with this one!

[@LindaJohnson-ob3wr]

I came across your video by chance but am so glad that I did. This is all on my home turf when I was growing up. I visited Ribchester many times either by bus, for an afternoon out with my Mum or early drive in the evening with Mum & Dad. There was a really good ice cream shop opposite Banister Mill. Also very familiar with the area leading onwards from Longridge. We called it the ‘back way’ to Garstang, and very scenic it was. Will look forward to more of your very enlightening and entertaining videos

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you and that’s lovely feedback. A couple of other Ribchester Roman road videos in the Roman Road Appendices playlist you might enjoy. And I’ll be doing at least one more this year. Cheers

[@iainmc9859]

The lidar runs out at the very northern edge of my village ( beyond that there be dragons). I got excited as I was looking at the lidar near the start of the Muir, supposedly with a Roman road and camp on it, as I spotted two definite pits - mining for roadstone, digging out stone for quearn stones ... a bit disappointed when I faded back in the satellite map and realised it was bunkers on the golf course 😢 Bring back the fur lined leather trousers !

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

That’s the thing with Roman road hunting - some modern things look Roman on the LiDAR. The Thirlmere pipeline crosses this route and if you didn’t know, you’d think it was a Roman road. “There be dragons” - I liked that!

[@frankparsons1629]

Many thanks Darren, excellent and absorbing account of the "missing" Roman road. Chuckled about your comments re the appearance of Mrs. WC21 which was appreciated, she is after all a jolly sight easier on the eye compared to Mr. WC21 !!! Seriously though (difficult), I wrote an account of our nearby Roman road (just down the road from me) which I cross in 2 places at least thrice weekly on my forays around Salisbury, and a magnificent raised 30 metre length of Agger which has been utterly truncated by the railway line out of Salisbury which I really must photograph (I suspect 190% of people in the City don't even notice it nor would they appreciate what it is). It took me some 20 minutes to write an account here of the route checking my Ordnance Survey map (Roman Britain), then I mis-clicked somehow and panicking lost the lot. I think a cup of tea will salve my wound for the loss, I will attempt it again soon when the pain has subsided! I've been an archaeologist and historian for almost 70 years and find all your posts absolutely fascinating. I dug my very first Roman Villa at the age of eleven (I was always the trowel man), that was four years after I dug up my father's veg patch looking for Roman "stuff". An ancestor was a Victorian architect and historian, must clatter down the genes I guess. I will catch up with you very soon Darren, Cheers, Frank.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thanks Frank! Great to read of your life long passion for uncovering our history. In a way, those of us who notice and understand the lumps in our landscape, are a select group. I’ve had numerous encounters with locals whilst making these videos, where they had no idea about something they pass every day. Cheers.

[@janecapon2337]

This video has some of the most beautiful images in it I have seen for a long time. Thank you so much for your hard work!

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thanks Jane, that’s lovely. It was a bit of a pain filming in between the snow showers, but worth it to capture that footage. The snow even helped to highlight the line of the road at one point!

[@eamonnclabby7067]

What Jane wrote....E😊😊😊

[@PaIaeoCIive1684]

@@WC21UKProductionsLtd Love these videos where you scan the landscape for the faint but tell-tale evidence of the underlying archaeology. I'm still doing it long after leaving the digging job. The differential vegetation growth (as at 12:20) and snow laying/not laying where buried linear features are are just a couple of good clues. Back in the job I could even differentiate between subtle shades of grey or brown sediment at an excavation to determine the course of ancient ditches or locate postholes. Useful skills if you're a detectorist looking for places to try, and interesting if you like reading the landscape in general..

[@Pete40-b1u]

More interesting information presented in your enthusiastic way. Not sure of your career choice but wished you’d been my history teacher. Your style makes it all very appealing to want to learn more. Thanks for taking the time to research film and edit in all weathers. The snow made the original path stand out really well. Good timing. All the very best Pete

[@PaIaeoCIive1684]

The history teacher at my terrifying substandard comp had a nervous breakdown in the classroom, leaving me with a tedious and inept PE teacher stand-in until the O-Levels. Would've liked to be taught by such an enthusiast -- or taught history myself.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thanks Pete and didn’t the snow do me a favour there?!

[@adampascoe1084]

Darren, once again you have surpassed yourself with yet another brilliant and informative film. You have somewhat thrown down the gauntlet with regards to those enigmatic place names in the charter, and I am never one to balk at a challenge. I caveat my answer with the fact that I put the “amateur” into amateur historian and neither am I fluent in Anglo Saxon or Old Norse, and with those excuses out of the way here goes: Charters, much like the Domesday Book are renowned for spelling place names several different ways in the same paragraph, often understood to be the result of the literate scribe struggling to understand the drawling accent of the rustic locals (having spent the formative years of my youth serving at a bar in a rural pub, I can feel their pain). But what makes the north of England charters really interesting is the fusion of Old Norse and Anglo Saxon, something we rarely get down here in the Cotswolds. For Fpharmonhowra, allowing for the odd typo, I think that the first part of this word derives from Feormehan, which is the Anglo Saxon word for “farm”. Howra could come from the Norse word “haugr” which means hill or mound. So, with a bit of licence Fpharmonhowra translates to “Hill Farm”. In a similar fashion for Fpharmonheve, Heve in Norse means lift, high or edge. So this translates to High Farm or Farm on the Edge. The charter says “the boundary….running as far as the old causeway, thence to the ditch between Fpharmonhowra and Fpharmonheve”. Looking at the map I think the referenced “ditch” is the River Loud, the current parish boundary still follows this route. So, looking at farms on either side of this river, at grid reference 583, 408 there is White Hill Farm and across the river is Countess Hey Farm at grid reference 594, 405. Just east of Countess Hay farm is another farm called Elmridge and Gib Hey, both on the edge of quite a steep slope. With the eye of faith I think these settlements could be the ones referenced in the charter, with the ditch running between them. The parish boundary moves north from the River Loud following a smaller water course until it meets the River Brock, here the charter says “follow the stream to Tynbersnapeheuet. Tynber is most probably from the Norse word Timbr meaning wood, snape comes from the Anglo Saxon word “sneap” which means a “boggy piece of land” (growing up near the village of Snape in Suffolk I can attest this to be true), and Heuet derives from the Saxon for “hay” or “harvest” - so Tynbersnapeheuet is the “Hay Meadows by the Boggy Wood”. As you follow the River Brock you come to an area of woodland surrounded by grassy fields called Winsnape Wood and Boggy Wood. Too much of a coincidence? Boggy Wood is at grid reference 555, 442. By stating the above I fully accept the incoming character assassination from the fabulous Allotment Fox, who no doubt will unpick my Saxo/Norse inferences. But for now I will bask in the warming glow of my discovery.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

That is fantastic, Adam! Thank you so much. When I get back to my “studio” I will follow that on the map. Allotment Fox had a go at the names here in the comments, but you’ve gone the whole hog and tried to solve the charter. I will review both submissions and post something on the Facebook page, once I’ve sorted the next video, which I’m up to my eyes in at the moment. It’s fantastic to get engagement like this. Can’t wait to trace that route on the map. Cheers!

[@Spoonbob150]

Top vid Dazzla. So interesting that the stone of the Roman road makes it slightly warmer than the land around it. Who knew?!

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you! Yes snow “LiDAR” was a very nice surprise!

[@_Hold_My_Beer_]

Loved this foray into history today! Thanks. Shooting in the dark here guessing those words, Fpharmonheve - Eve's Farm, Fpharmonhowra - Owra's Farm, Tynbersnapeheuet - Snape's Hay Barn, may possibly be all Welsh in origin. I love me some Roman adventures Cheers.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you. Allotment Fox has had a good go at them too in the comments. Aren’t they bizarre to our modern English ears?

[@RonSeymour1]

Thank you, Darren and congratulations on reaching 6000 subscribers. With the road so wide it is easy to imagine legions of soldiers marching along it. That must have been freezing in the open fields but I am pleased to see you drinking Doombar, my go to.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Cheers Ron! This is the video that has taken me over the 6K - marvelous! Yes, that great wide road is one you can imagine the legions stomping along, isn't it? Must have been an active route to be rebuilt to those dimensions.

[@wayneriches9596]

Great show thanks Darren, and excellent videography in a wonderful setting(s). As we swelter away awaiting another thunderstorm that cool weather looks quite nice.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you! Yes it’s a bit of a pain filming in between the snow showers, but worth it when you see the footage!

[@cherylwood5202]

A wonderful adventure. Thank you for persevering even in the snow, cold, wet and mud!

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thanks Cheryl! Always worth it after the event!

[@michaeldutsonlandscapephot2184]

The wonders of the KZbin algorithm put your channel (well, this video) into my recommendations, and it piqued my interest as I live on the Roman Road from Ribchester to Manchester in a village called Affetside. Very nicely filmed, presented and edited - you across really well on camera too. You have yourself a new subscriber!

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you Michael and welcome. I touched on the Manchester road in two videos last year: We've Found a Roman Road in our Garden and Taking Archaeology into our own hands. They're a sort of 2-parter. I lived on a Roman road briefly many years ago. Probably played a part in leading me to this!

[@michaeldutsonlandscapephot2184]

@@WC21UKProductionsLtd Yes, having something so old passing in the vicinity of ones house can be the cause of much curiosity, if you have an enquiring mind. David Ratledge is also a top bloke too. I found some unusual playing card shaped shadows in the nearby fields one winter morning when capturing sunrise with my drone, so contacted David about them. Who knows what they are as they would require excavation, but David was very gracious with his time and knowledge too in my particular locale.

[@davidaspinall496]

Superb photography - great story ...

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you David!

[@RobinDS-m1g]

Another interesting and enthusiastic ant-aquarium video! May I be first to congratulate you deservedly on your 6k subscribers......any moment now/today!

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Oh thank you - yes it is close now. Another milestone!

[@brynmorjenkins4376]

Thanks Darren. Halfway through winter and still up and about very much on the steps of ancients. Fascinating video especially the snow covered ground helping you spot the lie of the ground features. Very much appreciated considering the research that goes into these Sunday jaunts. Keep going like this then a possible new edition of OS map dedicated of roman roads and tracks could be issued ?

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thanks Bryn and that’s a really good point. They seriously need to update the OS with all the new discoveries. The days of them having a team focused on antiquities seem to be gone, sadly.

[@davie941]

hello again Darren, that was another fascinating and interesting video, your videos always make my Sunday get off to a good start, well done and thank you 😊

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Cheers Davie and what nicer feedback could I ask for than that.

[@barbarabauling7513]

Fascinating! I've subscribed. Great detection work. :)

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Many thanks Barbara and welcome onboard!

[@JimBagby74]

Doom Bar, eh? That is the only IPA I can tolerate. From Padstowe if I'm not mistaken, and the site of another Time Team dig. We've had snow as well. Good times! By the way, I think you are the best Runner-In-And-Out-Of-Ditches on KZbin. And you can tell Whitewick I said so.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Hi Jim, I used to like IPA but they seem to have morphed into craft beers. And basically become horrible, but DB still seems to be OK. Often the only thing I like in the local shop! That’s high praise indeed re my ditch-work! I’m very happy with that. Cheers!

[@sevski1979]

Really great to see that your uploads are getting lots of views in no time.. brilliant and well deserved 😊

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thanks very much - appreciate your support. If they do well on the first day it does seem that the algorithm pushes them out.

[@reconn9056]

i have subscribed and "binged" over the last week or so. Top class content and presntation. Would love it if you and the missus could do Warwickshire.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Oh thank you very much and welcome. I’m in this for the long haul and want to visit/film as many historical sites as possible, so I have no doubt we’ll be there!

[@OonaghEllis]

Awesome, I really enjoy your Roman history videos.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thanks Oonagh!

[@philcollinson328]

Thanks

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you so much, Phil!

[@philcollinson328]

@@WC21UKProductionsLtd Thank you so much Mr WC21!

[@jacquelinetaylor8683]

That was interesting. There must have been a lot of traffic on the road for it to have been so wide across. It always amazes me how good the Roman legions were at civil construction. P. S. The opening shots of Parlick, which has been looking particularly beautiful shrouded with snow in the last few days, were artistically done. Congratulations on the cinematography.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you Jacqueline. Yes that rebuild of the road was something else. Must have been a major highway. Yes, the Bowland fells looked stunning in that bleak winter way.

[@alisonalder7317]

Very interesting. I love NLS maps and could spend all day browsing.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you! Yes, I lose days to that site!

[@davidberlanny3308]

Hi Darren, A very impressive piece of work which follows on nicely from the previous videos on Ribchester. Big thank you to both David for allowing you to use his work and to Graham for suggesting this one. The bridge abutment looks old but maybe not weathered enough to go back that far, the edges and corners looked far too crisp? It's interesting because they've been restoring the course of the river Monachil where I live and as it enters the city there is a disused bridge. I've been there before but with a suitable piece of "ant aquarium" running down slopes you can get right down to the river bed to see the foundations, now that there is no vegetation. There is a progression from large stone blocks at the bottom to more modern parapet remains which indicates certain antiquity and It is identified as of historical interest but not officially protected. The edges and corners looked very heavily weathered. Also interesting to see was the road revealing itself through the snow, why should that happen? I suppose it must be the same process which reveals old structures in hot summers. Loved seeing the milestone together with all those other figures. And all presented in the snow too. Thanks very much for going to all these places!! All the best PS: My little quip about being on the "wagon" earlier this week was because I spotted the name of the road from the North East into Street!!

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Cheers David. That bridge you’ve been looking at sounds great. Old bridges do reveal their progression sometimes, don’t they? Yes I think the Street bridge abutment is too new looking. That and the Street place name have distracted those searching for the road over so many decades. The snow LiDAR was an added bonus! I don’t know why it melted on the road surface first, something to do with the compacted road surface, 30cm down, holding more heat? Or something! Those carved gateposts next to the proper milestone were a surprise to me. Someone’s got a bit inspired by a Roman road running through their land, I guess.

[@carolemccartney566]

Fabulous video Darren, one of the best!

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Cheers Carole. Sorry I didn’t invite David. It was a last minute substitution!

[@charleswillcock3235]

Another great video thanks for sharing.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you very much Charles. Glad you enjoyed it. Cheers.

[@charleswillcock3235]

@@WC21UKProductionsLtd I rarely watch terrestrial TV (I have a TV licence!) but I do watch or listen to hours of KZbin videos and the ones I like best are the ones which do not follow a formula. Hats off to you for mixing it up, keeping it fresh, adding some humour and the passion you bring to the subject bubbles out of the screen. I guess with the BBC etc. their presenters are just going through the motions. KZbin and people like you are literally expanding our knowledge of the world around us at a massive rate. For me that is important. It is amazing that some field boundaries and ditches have been there for the last 2000 years. Please do include your wife in future videos she is a great asset, but please caller her by her name. I will be totally frank, when Mary Beard come on TV I have to switch channels.

[@lthornton7802]

I am completely fascinated with your videos. Thank you.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you very much. Nice feedback. Cheers.

[@MarkGould-y8y]

Another interesting video well done and presented.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thanks Mark!

[@mattg56]

Love the video Darren, really enjoying your unique antiquarian output! This might sound like a really silly question, but the amount of material going into the making of a road seems significant and I often wonder how they obtained it, from where they obtained it, and how they transported it. We're talking masses of material laid down over huge distances, without the transport and mining technology we have today. Blows my mind!!!

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Cheers. Yes it’s another boggling thing, isn’t it? The quarry pits are often a giveaway for lost Roman roads. For a massive one, check out Kinky Roman Road - it’s huge!

[@mattg56]

@@WC21UKProductionsLtd It really is. I try to picture it and what they used to transport the gravel and the rocks but it's not easy, presumably they had to build service tracks to the roads from the quarry and build up in front of themselves...it's an amazing feat. I will certainly check out Kinky Roman Road! All the best for your future productions!

[@jerrygale1994]

Fab video. Amazing story. Thank you for telling it. Happy New Year

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Cheers Jerry! All the best for 2025 to you too.

[@inyobill]

Fascinating presentation. Thanks for that

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you very much!

[@andrewlamb8055]

Super show Darren … please continue my friend! ⚔️⚔️😎⭐️👏👍

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you Andrew! Onwards!

[@-old-school-motorcyclesltd]

Excellent work again Darren very interesting and watchable ! Unbelievable how we don’t know what’s beneath our feet 👣 houses etc! the snow is good for something at least ! Phil

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Cheers Phil! Yes that snow “”LiDAR” was something else!

[@WAYNEMODELBUILDER]

Another great and very interesting video 👍

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Cheers Wayne! Glad you enjoyed it.

[@atrampinthehills.841]

Morning..i found this most interesting...so much so that my coffee went cold...oh well best make another

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thanks Steve! I’m about to make my first of the day. Two cups of tea and then the coffee. It’s interesting to think those visible traces went unnoticed for years, because everyone was looking at Street.

[@eamonnclabby7067]

Come rain or shine, weather or not,nothing deters this intrepid explorer....well done sir....BRRRR....off to tend to my herd of Haggis roaming free here in the wilds of the wirral peninsula...😊😊...E..

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thanks Eamonn! It was a bit of a pain ducking the snow showers, but it ended up helping to show the road at one point!

[@phil2186]

Fascinating reveal.👍👏👏👏 Looking forward to WC21 coming back to West Cumbria and revealing Kokoarrah as the location of Atlantis.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Cheers Phil! That sounds like a challenge you’ve set me there!

[@mattrishton]

Hi Darren great vid thanks for that; I used to cycle up there when I was a lad. Always knew about the written stone and saw someone's video some years ago about a possible road from Ribchester (Bremetennacum) to Wigan (Coccium) which I think you might find interesting.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you and cheers for the tip about that video. Will have to check it out.

[@or1034]

David Ratledge is a real roman road hero! Build the man a statue 🎉

[@theoztreecrasher2647]

By the looks of those gateposts they may have already done it! 😱😈

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Yes! We need to start a petition for this!

[@Francis1taylor]

Very interesting. Thank you.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Cheers Francis!

[@69waveydavey]

David Ratledge's video was what reignited my local Roman interest. My original interest was sparked in 1980ish when my mate's garden was dug up on What is now Preston's Capital Centre/park and ride, some of the finds are in the Harris museum. I must get out and about to actually see this stuff but life always seems to get in the way. Excellent video as always but please don't sing again.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Sorry about the singing! I’ve been warned enough times now to know better. Hasn’t LiDAR reignited the search for these roads? The work David has done is an inspiration.

[@lablackzed]

A nice pint of ale and a good tale what more does a man need.🍻🍻👍

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Exactly! I deserved that pint after that weather too! Cheers.

[@Xutto80]

Hello from the USA- great video and I will add the locations to my visit this summer. Lancashire is my final destination so I am researching as much as I can. My last name is Nutter of Lancashire descent.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you and I hope you enjoy your trip. Lancashire has some amazing scenery. I’m sure you’ll have a great time exploring.

[@nickcaunt1769]

Alice Nutter was one of the hanged Pendle 'alleged witches'. She has an evocative statue in the village of Rouglee. Be sure to visit the Pendle Heritage Centre in Barrowford, near Burnley. Rouglee is about 2 miles west of Barrowford and Newchurch in Pendle is about a further 2 miles west. In the churchyard at Newchurch IP is the Nutter family grave. That area is well worth a day out for you.

[@ESS284]

Great work! Those lovely carved "gate posts" look rather old... Could they be as old as the road? Dug up by locals and placed near the "out of place" mile marker?

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you. I couldn’t find anything out about them and had no idea they were there. I think someone’s rather pleased to have a Roman road and milestone on their land. Don’t blame them!

[@Redfour5]

I love this stuff.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Cheers!

[@PiousMoltar]

"That horse is right on the agger there" I'm disappointed that the word "agger" didn't zoom into my face in red when you said that. I've come to expect that haha.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Oh yes, I forgot to do that! There will be other opportunities!

[@billykershaw2781]

Nice one 👍

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Cheers Billy!

[@hughjohnston]

Lancashires underwhelming weather conditions that are more suitable to Inuit's than antiquarians will not deter WC 21 productions relentless exploration of Britain's lost Roman history. ❤😊

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

It was a pain ducking those snow showers, but worth it to see how the snow helped mark the road line! Every cloud and all that!

[@harley419]

Braving the elements for antiquarian content, great video

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you! It was a challenging day with all the snow showers, but worth it. The snow helped me find the road at one point, though!

[@philcollinson328]

6,000...Awesome.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thanks Phil! It’s been a quick jump!

[@DiniAdd0807]

The Roman roads are fascinating.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Aren’t they? The roads that have persisted are great, but those that have disappeared are the most intriguing!

[@drdoolittle5724]

Looking forward to the digging at the service area where the two 'streets' join!

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Imagine what you’d have to dig through there! Layers of historical KFC packaging!

[@drdoolittle5724]

@WC21UKProductionsLtd Lidar dig?

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

@@drdoolittle5724 yes! That would be easier!

[@davidrowley-ic6dx]

Interesting how the old roadway manifests in slightly different thermal properties. Actually very obvious when I apply what’s left of my engineering knowledge to the matter … especially in consideration to the part thermodynamics played in my career 😳 The consolidated roadway incorporates a high proportion of stone compared to the surrounding ground … which is likely (under current weather conditions) to be somewhat waterlogged. The consolidated ground will represent a higher thermal mass compared to the sodden ground … remember how one uses hot stones for slow release of heat as a storage heater … compared to a hot water bottle that cools all too quickly. In the case of the roadway, the effect is blurred by the existence of the deposited soil covering everything … but the small difference in temperature only needs to be 0.5 degrees to become apparent as the snow melts away. Indeed, the difference is probably so small it would be a real challenge to measure and likely require a lot of measurements before some sort of picture would emerge from the scatter. It might be interesting to see how IR photography during a hot period of weather might compare with LiDAR … differences in thermal radiation might highlight the roadway .. particularly when running across open countryside. Probably find the geophysical investigation people are already ahead of the game in this and already have a good technique … do they already use IR photography to enhance crop or parch marks ??

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

That’s amazing, David. I sort of thought it might be something like that, but you’ve made it really clear there. Interesting how it shows that much of the road is still there - buried. I’m not sure about IR photography. Something I’ll need to look up. It’s extremely satisfying as a content creator to get engagement like this. Thank you very much.

[@AllotmentFox]

Those place names are particularly annoying. The p could be a mis-scan of the letter wynn which looks like a p and means w which would give us fwhor- at the beginning. It could be furrow which-though this placename is not Old English but is Early English-in OE is furh. Mon might be man, often spelt that way; and ‘how’ might be heel-shaped hill. The ra is probably a case ending possibly for an adjective. Any proper etymologist is probably howling at the screen by now but my best guess is furrow of the men’s hill. I must admit I think this solution is terrible. The other one might be furrow of the men’s headland. Tynbersnaphevet is easier: snap is Old Norse for bad pasture (but poss. Early English for cut off land) and hevet is English for head. I suspect Tynber is a personal name or perhaps timber. It could be river peasants while I’m making stuff up. Goosnargh is entirely Irish which I think is bonkers in this location. We are so far north all my southern instincts are confounded by such northern placename idiosyncracies as Norse and Irish so be warned not to take this so seriously. If any northern toponymists know of any place name elements that have fwh or fuh or fuuh at the beginning I would be grateful to hear what they are.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Amazing, Tom. Thank you. Like you, I tend to move on after each video, but when I get back to my “studio” I’ll have a good look at the map and relate it to your translations here. The Irish thing is so exciting in the north west, both from a prehistoric and Dark Ages perspective. This charter is very close to the M6 if you fancy popping up to solve it

[@christopherbagley300]

As usual, interesting and enjoyable. I just turned 70, which is the new 60.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you! I imagine I’ll be getting a 60 is the new 50 mug in a few years.

[@PaIaeoCIive1684]

Congrats Chistopher. In Roman Britain you'd be a rare elder since the average age of death (deduced from gravestones) was in the mid-20s! Then again, up to a third of Romans died at birth or within their first year. Eek! I'm soon to reach the depressing 60 -- the new 50? -- but feel as if I'm around 30. Pity I don't look it!

[@david6920-r6z]

Great video 🇬🇧 🇳🇿

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Cheers David!

[@johnakyle5908]

6 k following and over 3.5k views already . BBC4 will be calling soon . Co presenting with Philomena Cunk , the ultimate tv show 🤩

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Everyday I expect that call, but it never comes. What's wrong with them?!

[@SirVashtastic]

I love your hat , where did you get it ?

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you! It’s a Poet Fedora from my top choice of hatters: Bates. Been sourcing hates from them for 33 years!

[@cloudbase3515]

That'll teach her not to take drugs. 😁 Great video. Thank you.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Can you imagine? I bet she sat there frozen with terror for hours!

[@cloudbase3515]

@@WC21UKProductionsLtd very bad trip. 😂

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

@@cloudbase3515 😂

[@Self_Aware_Since_Aug_29]

Wow! Great work. Respectfully, No wonder you stay so young with a lovely Mrs by your side.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you and I am very lucky! I think she’ll add at least ten years for me!

[@denisripley8699]

Excellent discussion. I just found your channel and subscribed (the 'Likes' were at '666', so it was with some trepidation that I advanced this to '667' ! All good.. so far.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thanks Dennis and welcome! Appreciate you moving us off from the number of the beast!

[@nickbrough8335]

Darren, could Street be referring to the (former) presence of a minor Roman Road ? There must have been connections of the make road(s) even in Lancashire (i assume there must also be whatever the local equivalent to Villas).

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

That's a very good point, Nick. I have been bugged by the question, "then what is Street about", since making the video. As you say, there was a whole network of minor Roman roads. One problem is that there are no known villas in this part of the country. I think the nearest would be at Gargrave and that is very much an outlier. But I think you are right to raise this point. Is Street remembering a lesser Roman road, or is it genuinely an example of a much later use of Street in a place name?

[@nickbrough8335]

@@WC21UKProductionsLtd At least at one point the Legionary commanders would have wanted a network of East -west roads as as as N-S. We know these existed along the frontier to the north (your how long is a mile video !) as well as access into the upland areas (if only for sheep farming or mining in some locations). Presumably most minor Roman roads would be more like farm tracks anyway ?

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

@@nickbrough8335 yes, there has been evidence of minor roads being very minor! I think I’ll ask a good chap I know to produce some enhanced LiDAR around Street. I’d like to see if there’s any evidence of continuation linked to that long straight road that still runs from it.

[@nickbrough8335]

@ another episode either way !

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

@@nickbrough8335 I see you understand this pressure?!

[@ThreeOldDudesshow]

Warm sofa, no coffee as yet, roast ham on the go in the oven for lunch, eldest son snoozing til lunchtime, youngest son out for a morning constitutional and WC21 out in the cold on what now passes for the "telly". My cosy Sunday is sorted! Luckily there's no tedious Sunday Grandstand, the Farming programme, Songs of Praise or Antiques Roadshow to spoil my day🤣

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Cheers - it’s great to have become part of people’s Sunday routine. What more could I ask for? Who needs the BBC these days?! They should have signed me up when they had the chance.

[@Redfour5]

LOL, "We are going to leave dystopia now...oh I mean suburbia..."

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Slip of the tongue there. Sorry!

[@philcollinson328]

Artic weather antiquarianism. It seems amazing it took so long to find that road given how noticeable it seems to be. I suppose it's simply a case of nobody thought it was there for a long time, so folks didn't look for it there. That said, I'm fairly certain if Mr WC21 had parachuted in and landed on that area of the field he'd have spotted the road instantly (After recovering from the shock of finding himself parachuting in the first place).

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Yes Phil it is surprising that nobody spotted it. Especially where the milestone had been found, but everyone was trying to make it connect with Street, so weren’t looking there. When you look at the correct route, it’s so logical they’d do that! Parachute! I wouldn’t even go on a zip wire these days!

[@philcollinson328]

@@WC21UKProductionsLtd I expect that horse is thinking ''If somebody had asked me, I'd have told them''.

[@andrewbarnett5542]

Every breath you take And every move you make Every bond you break Every step you take I'll be watching you Anglo Saxon first uses the term Street (Watch Allotment Fox) Nice hat … Aukbra brand?

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Yes I’m waiting to see how Allotment Fox reacts to a Street place name not indicating a Roman road! It’s a Poet fedora from Bates. Cheers.

[@robdegoyim4023]

Who’s maxi meehan? First Irish emperor of Rome?

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

A later emperor - that's why we think the road was upgraded around 300AD, as recorded by the re-inscription of the milestone. Cheers.

[@andymcgeechan8318]

"Walker" Fold immediately caught my eye. I already have it marked on my Mesolithic trade route map. The word itself is stone age and still in use in the same context all these millenia later. The civilizing effect of your wife should never be understated.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thanks Andy - I wasn't aware of that. Fabulous stuff. Yes, I'm terrible when the Missus is not around to keep me in check!

[@AdamMorganIbbotson]

Let me stick in a distant request for Kendal to Ambleside!

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Now that is an interesting road too! I will definitely do that. Sorry you couldn’t make it yesterday, it was a nice event. So far south though, only narrowly avoided a nosebleed.

[@michaelshore2300]

Why did they need a road when they had the M6 ???

[@Rob-q1e6j]

Horse drawn chariots not allowed on motorways.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

What Rob said!

[@francisbarlow9904]

Very good, just goes to show you the importance of field archaeology and particularly lidar! I ejoyed that a lot! I must admit the inclusion of your lovely wife in videos adds a little 'je ne sais quoi' despite your own sartorial elegance.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you very much. All those visible traces unidentified for years until LiDAR. Everyone was trying to link it to Street! Hopefully the Missus will appear again soon for some more ‘je ne sais quoi’!

[@peakfreak01]

Hmmmm! I wonder if that route of the roman road might have some bearing on the route taken to lancaster by the Pendle Witches. There has been much debate on what route they took, and I always felt there was a shorter direction than what is currently believed. Maybe this was that shorter direction. Hey ho, what do I know 😂😊

[@PaIaeoCIive1684]

Just looked into that. Those unfortunate women were marched across the wild landscapes from Pendle to Lancaster. The modern road distance (M6) is around 45 miles but if they were dragged directly to Lancaster through the Forest of Bowland it's around 30. Presumably they stopped overnight somewhere? Still quite a trek on foot. This was in Summer, so I imagine they'd have needed to commandeer wagons to transport them if it was a frozen snowscape similar to that braved by Darren.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

There’s an interesting spot up on the Bowland fells where there’s some speculation about a stop off on that route. Boy is it bleak?!

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Really interesting idea. So much easier than crossing the Bowland fells.

[@PaIaeoCIive1684]

@@WC21UKProductionsLtd I've backpacked there and it has a rugged beauty, but for those terrified women it must've been bleak indeed out there in the night, especially as they knew what awaited them -- possibly cruel torture and likely execution -- once they arrived at Lancaster.

[@peakfreak01]

@WC21UKProductionsLtd There are several suggestions of the route taken, i.e., Slaidburn and Croasdale fell. However, it does seem unlikely they would go to Clitheroe and then up high onto Bowland fells. Whereas this discovered roman route "may" be worth a look. Off to my maps, I go. Darn it, Darren, that's another thing to add to my list for this year. 😂🧐

[@ericsonhazeltine5064]

Wheat region is his accent?

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

It’s a Kentish accent.

[@ericsonhazeltine5064]

@ thank you

[@pcka12]

So is the town 'Street' in Somerset a Roman Road?

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

I believe it does. Think there was a Roman settlement there too.

[@pcka12]

@WC21UKProductionsLtd always been too focussed on Glastonbury to have noticed that, but there is a place on the Glastonbury side of the River Brue called 'Roman Road'.

[@desmondrobinson169]

Ickle tickle🙌🏻

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

♥️

[@GadreelAdvocat]

Translate your looking for. First farm house, last farm house, and lumber mill.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thank you very much! Cheers

[@garrymartin6474]

There is a Wimpy in Littlehampton should you ever find yourself in the area .

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Really? Old school - with knives and forks?!

[@hainanbob6144]

What lovely weather you are having there. I was just having a moan to #1 son and telling him that it is 15C here at half past six in the evening and we are feeling it! Lovely video, as always!

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Ha! It’s all relative I suppose and at least the snow helped highlight that road! Thank you for your kind comments and do keep warm!

[@PiousMoltar]

Oh no I guess this means it's sunday already.

[@PiousMoltar]

Ooh snow. We don't get much of that here in East Anglia. Sometimes it snows a bit but it's rained already so it just melts when it lands.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Yes the distribution of snow is unfair. We get plenty up here! It was good how the snow helped highlight the line of the road, though. Cheers.

[@theoztreecrasher2647]

@@WC21UKProductionsLtd Stone (as in the Roman road construction) like ceramics tends to hang onto heat much better than water-soaked soil. You'd only need a degree or so difference in the sub-soil heat leaking to the surface to give you the delineation.

[@AgentTrust]

👍❤️

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Cheers AgentTrust!

[@vsvnrg3263]

did i miss something or were you implying that your missus was in that car smoking dope?

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

😂 oh goodness no! She’s going to be cross with me if it comes across like that!

[@alanwann9318]

Love your clothes.

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Thanks Alan - much appreciated!

[@AMeise-vy4fk]

How to wear Mudboots with historical Elegance

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

😂 thank you - they do need a good clean. It’s a mucky business this antiquarianism!

[@henchy3rd]

Did the romans have hedges next to the roads? I thinks not as it would leave them open to us savages🤣

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

No, they kept the roadsides clear for that very reason. When you walk down a hedged Roman road you have to mentally remove them to get a sense of what it was like!

[@henchy3rd]

@ I’ll hedge my bets on that😁

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

@ 😂

[@stevefairbanks835]

Ahh Wimpy, decent food rather than McDonald and BK shite, try contacting Allotment Fox for help with the charter

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

I miss the knives and forks of the old school Wimpy! Allotment Fox has had a go at those bewildering names in the charter in the comments. Have a look - really interesting. And one day I'll get him up here to solve a northern charter. It will happen!

[@leftpastsaturn67]

@@WC21UKProductionsLtd You can still find a Wimpy in Swanage, Dorset. I revisited my yoof by revisiting that Wimpy. The special sauce was still special, but I was disappointed that the Bender in a Bun was no longer on the menu.

[@rileyuktv6426]

First ❤

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Cheers Riley!

[@CarolWoosey-ck2rg]

Morning Darren- is the swell the same as what I know as the camber of a road? ( Hope I've spelt it right) Managed to have a warm brekky this morning- ditched the porridge today in favour of an egg and bacon butty😋- got a rockery and proud

[@WC21UKProductionsLtd]

Yes camber is the right word. “Swell” is typically used when a road reveals itself by the rising of a field boundary. You should be proud of your rockery - they’re at risk these days - the paving over of gardens seems to be the in thing! I’m hungry now, reading about your breakfast.

[@CarolWoosey-ck2rg]

​@@WC21UKProductionsLtdoh it was delish mate- my garden is wildflowers only- not much paving plenty of border and a nice manageable patch of grass I cut by hand with my sickle- very peasant like, but am a peasant and proud! Rockery is fab when in full bloom- enjoy your butty