What does a Roman Road "Junction" look like?

This is a question that's been on my mind for a few years. We have know about this spot for a long time to thought it was about time we had a look at a junction that isn't in a town. In fact its no in a forest. What is left for us to see.
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[@mikeakhurst1855]

I can see why Rebecca had her hair done in red, so you can’t lose her in a forest. Great thinking!

[@pwhitewick]

Most definitely worked on the day

[@MossdaleNGaugeRailway]

Thought it was an Alex Albon/Williams F1 tribute

[@Lichfeldian--Suttonian]

Fantastic, you two. Many thanks.

[@DaedalusYoung]

Don't forget to change it back in autumn ;)

[@Leonard_Smith]

How loving must a wife be when she is asked "Do you want to go and stand in that ditch" and she politely obliges... A great couple of video makers!

[@pwhitewick]

Haha.... yup!

[@jlaakso1706]

I have Time Team to thank for turning me onto your videos. A rabbit hole of watching I have thoroughly enjoyed. Cheers!

[@huwzebediahthomas9193]

The graded gravel on the old Roman road has prevented any trees growing on it, in all of almost two thousand years. Clever!

[@robinhayhurst5943]

You'd have thought there would have been a Little Chef at the junction! Missed opportunity!

[@ColinH1973]

Wonderful, just plain wonderful. Life doesn't get much better than this on any Sunday! Thanks and just keep doing what you do. It's enchanting.

[@robertansell4538]

So true 👍 there both brilliant 👏 colin

[@ColinH1973]

@@robertansell4538 Thanks for that Robert. It's made my day! 👍

[@david14011]

I think this just became my new favorite channel. I’ve always been intrigued by Roman roads.

[@squeezyjohn1]

It's my absolute favourite landscape ... it feels like my landscape ... it feels like home. Definitely a Wessex boy!

[@lukecrowley571]

Great video. Any time I turn onto the Fosse Way from Watling Street at High Cross in Leicestershire, I like the fact that I could have made the exact same turn 2000 years ago. :)

[@kevlandy]

I’m quite lucky to live not too far from The Highcross. - The junction of Watling Street and The Fosseway.👌😎

[@brianartillery]

The classic meeting of two Roman roads has to be the town of Royston in Hertfordshire, where the Icknield Way intercepts Ermine Street.

[@andyknott8148]

And also Baldock just down the road, where the Icknield way crossed the old A1. But in both cases towns sprung up, where as in the video - nothing at all.

[@SteamCrane]

Don't worry about what you ought to do next, do what you want and we'll happily follow along. I don't usually like dyed hair, but Rebecca makes it look good, and pretty handy for navigation in the forest.

[@nilo70]

First , I Love Rebecca’s Hair !! Second , the scenery is so Beautiful ! And Third , thank You both for taking me along with you today !

[@stevebarryBAZZA]

Paul is going Grey and Rebecca has gone Red! Great video as usual guys 👍

[@lesbendo6363]

Rebecca always brightens up the videos.

[@r.davies2702]

Loving the new hairstyle 👌

[@infidelcastro5129]

Rebecca’s is pretty good too 😋

[@pyhead9916]

It must be cold in those woods.

[@paulwood7798]

Mr and Mrs Whitwick a great thought provoking vid that has really set my cells clinking into overdrive. I have been flirting with your Chute causeway roman road vid and really been looking at the roman road network and the records as they so far stand in the area. This vid has now enthused me to the point a return is now needed as anomalies have been spotted and questions raised. Such a great vid and hopefully inspires a few more to get out and do their own research and please people do not believe all you read in books or see on maps. Paul and Rebecca set a good example of why its worth doing your own research.

[@TheClockwise770]

Yet another fascinating Roman roads video. The mind runs riot when you think of all the people that have travelled that way with their carts, horses and carriages through the forest bound for Marlborough and very likely Bath. That oak tree was incredible, possibly one of the 5 oldest in England. Thank you Paul and Rebecca

[@SpeedLockedNZ]

Eleventy hundred years ago an acorn sprouted, Marmite jar for scale.

[@robertwedd1111]

Great video. I believe you were also walking around one of Britains largest bomb dumps in ww2. Lots of munitions were stored under the trees in the savernake forrest. There was a spur off the old railway that ran into the bomb dump and I believe a train on this spur actually exploded. So much history in that area. 👍

[@chriswebb141]

That WW2 explosion is on KZbin . Check out the old news story etc .

[@ColinH1973]

Interesting, Robert. Thanks.

[@ColinH1973]

@@chriswebb141 Thanks for the info, Chris. I will certainly do that.

[@faithlesshound5621]

Sounds like a good reason NOT to go digging without some serious geophysics first.

[@dirkjordy9point714]

Yep GPSS pipeline system. I once caught Phil Harding digging near a gas pipeline I was patrolling. Kept it professional and pretended I didn't know who he was. He was pretty pissed I had to stop him until I was satisfied the pipeline wasn't under any threat. Still thought he was great even after the colourful language he aimed at me. Time Team.... happy days!

[@Phil-pf1cx]

apparently they used Lidar and discovered a junction near Arundal and Chichester, might be worth looking at. I might of missed an episode but loving Rebecca's hair.

[@ajay-xjs]

Savernake is such a beautiful forest

[@dianespears6057]

Love these walking exploring finding (or trying to) videos. Thank you both.

[@mrcogginsgarage7062]

Great to learn about this,thanks both, Rebecca,Testarossa marvellous.

[@mickkidston7344]

you couldn't make it up, wandering around looking for a roman road junction to just trip over a marker post for the GPSS pipeline right on the spot :)

[@vic1394]

I found your channel few months ago and I love it the more I watch it! I should say that the roman roads videos are my favourites. And you mentionned Time Team a show that has a place in my heart! I wish for your channel to keep going! And I'm already waiting for the next video! 😁

[@Sim0nTrains]

Strange to think that a gas marker post or looking like a old fence post is where the junction for a Roman Road met. Great interesting Video.

[@icba4907]

If that post is indeed a pipeline marker then the junction will not be there at all, generally when laying cross country pipelines a approx 15m wide spread (easement, right of way) is removed for the digging, spoil and mechanical laying of the pipeline. Nothing will remain inside this 15m strip.

[@br5380]

Does that mean that the pipeline could've used one or both 'roman' roads - is that likely?

[@icba4907]

@@br5380 the respect for archaeology back in the 40s,50,60s when laying cross country pipelines was minimal, they trenched through almost anything on route, probably wouldn't follow a roman Rd but would definatly have crossed them. Road building was much the same, look at the a303 at stonehenge.

[@ducthman4737]

She took the red pill ? A lot easier to find in the forest. I love it.

[@stevemarshall3481]

I really enjoy the roman stuff you do, I still find it hard to understand how the likes of main roads and villas disappear, its like saying, if society ended as we know it today, in 2000 years time, archaeologists would be digging up places like Buckingham Palace and the M1 motorway and explaining to people what they were and what they were used for 🤷‍♂️ oh........ another great video guys 👍

[@kgs42]

Fabulous look, Rebecca! Gorgeous colour!

[@tonygreenwood1798]

I’ve seen the word “agger” before and lots of puzzling pictures and text trying to explain what it means, but I get it now!!! Thanks both :)

[@lordbungle6235]

Paul if you dye your hair purple, with Rebecca's lovely red hair you can be Team Rocket. Although I doubt you would steal other peoples Pokemon.

[@RetroRatz]

Apparently in the adjacent land of Covingham, Swindon were Ermin Street roman Road runs! They decided to build the A419 bypass! Upon starting, they found another Roman settlement and a huge Roman graveyard! I've no evidence of this, but it's spoken about locally!!

[@uk-hon5769]

I know you did a poll. But all I'd say is keep doing what you do. You both clearly enjoy what you do and it comes across. Don't chase subscribers, they'll come to you with such quality content. Intriguing hair colour from Mrs W, though.

[@bobemmerson1580]

Reminds me of that rather dull meme comparing a Roman Road (which was probably preserved under turf for centuries) to a modern potholed road (Cars and HGVs are a lot heavier than carts). So many surviving Roman roads are hard to even spot, except where the same line has been followed by the modern road.

[@pwhitewick]

I've seen that meme!

[@jasonharding9490]

I recently came across a place called Venonis, or High Cross, which is approximately where the fosse and Watling street cross each other. It was marked on a map I saw as 'the centre of Roman Britain', which I was a bit suprised about as I had grown up not far from there and had no idea of its existence. There is a monument of some kind that stills exists there but other than that there might not be much interesting stuff to see as the roads are still used as roads today.

[@cdbvideo]

Although the closed stations videos are my favourite this was still very interesting to watch. The new hair colour suits you very much Rebecca.

[@chriswall4795]

There are Roman road junctions east of the Alconburys in Cambridgeshire, I believe. 57a with Ermine Street and 57a with 173a ... look up Sawtry Archaeology and 19-1 Alconbury Brook, Alconbury. Loving the hair colour, BTW

[@Hairnicks]

This is a beautiful part of our country and as usual you bring it to life. Living just outside of Chester I am a Roman lover, (Not in the biblical sense you understand) and being in your sort of country we are in spitting distance of a lost railway and lovely canals! This might be why I love your channel so much! I thought that beautiful old oak tree was stunning and I love the way your eyes have developed to spot a Roman road, you could see it quite clearly and I appreciate how difficult it is to capture this kind of find on film. Lovely film you two, really enjoyed it.

[@lindamccaughey6669]

That was fantastic thanks guys. Please take care and stay safe

[@davie941]

loved the very interesting video Paul and Rebecca , very cool , well done and thank you so much guys :)

[@terryengland1880]

Looking at the images on maps and your computer what appears a complete lack of any settlements around the area of the actual junction was a deliberate ploy to keep traffic flowing through the intersection naturally. Where if there were taverns ect people using the roads would stop for refreshments causing a log jam, by keeping the towns away from the junction would elevate a possible problem to the smooth traffic flows

[@wesleycardinal8869]

Very interesting detecting there. I really just wanted to see Rebeccas new hair colour!

[@dyerob]

I love Rebecca’s new hair color! This was a fantastically fun excursion even if a bit anticlimactic. It must be wonderful to wander through woods that have reclaimed a once-great civilization’s grand infrastructure. Thank you, Paul and Rebecca!

[@MrOlgrumpy]

I can visualise a "monty python" scenario of a traffic snarl at a Roman Road junction. 🙃

[@jasonbennett7002]

How about some Amish road rage from Australia's absurdist comedian Shaun Micallef kzbin.info/www/bejne/hJurnaBupZisp7c

[@adrianthoroughgood1191]

Rebecca has dyed her hair red! Be still my beating heart! Long may this continue!

[@SharpblueCreative]

The old railway tunnel - used by so many to smoke in when sneaking out of St. John’s comp. I went there in 1984 to do sixth form studies. Savernake is awesome- spent so much time exploring there when I was a kid. No idea about the Roman roads in the forest even though your in my neck of the woods. I’m from Chilton Foliat just down the road from Marlborough. Have you guys ever been to Snap village up near Upper Upham farm (which is where I grew up before moving to Chilton) Snap village will intrigue you.

[@pwhitewick]

Thanks Mark.... Video potential?

[@SharpblueCreative]

@@pwhitewick I think so. Look up Snap Village- Wiltshire Man (KZbin) did a video on it a few years ago. Be interesting to see what your research brings up. Here is the link to his video: kzbin.info/www/bejne/foGogIOAfb2NZ7M

[@cyrildhy8993]

Don't forget Lower Upham

[@chrisoffer3074]

I went to at Johns left about 1984 loved the tunnel

[@pwhitewick]

@@chrisoffer3074 tunnel?

[@andrewwright1200]

GPSS is the old (previously secret) fuel oil pipeline distribution system that spanned the UK, that I think started in WW2 to get fuel to RAF stations and the like.

[@richardstewart6900]

I think generally referred to as PLUTO - Pipeline Under The Ocean. I just Googled and multiple links came up so easy enough to find if anyone is interested. I'm just south of Manchester and there are many of those white posts around here, often in pairs with white slats across, hence the holes in the one in the video. Those who don't know about PLUTO usually assume that they're stiles - they're not.

[@andysadventures3910]

Interesting & entertaining video as always. By complete coincidence I spotted a utilities pipe which seems to be following the Fosseway just before it crosses Margary 45b at Beacon Hill, at right angles of course. Or Junction XXIV interchange as I call it...! Its about 8-10 inches in diameter and exposed in places just south of the intersection where the woods undulate a bit.

[@HoxieDan5369]

Love doing exactly what you are doing and variations of! Thank you, enjoyed well explained.

[@shirleylynch7529]

Great adventure. Superb filming. Love your hair Rebecca. Most enjoyable and informative. Thank you.

[@highpath4776]

Rebecca now more red than Paul !

[@andyalder7910]

You could have drilled little hole in the GPSS pipeline and filled your car, pretty sure the Fawley to Puthall farm pipe is still in use.

[@Mortimer50145]

That reminds me off the tour I did around the Guinness brewery in Dublin. The brewery and bottling plants were on opposite sides of a road and there used to be an overhead pipe that took the beer. They eventually buried it underground after they found that locals would come along at night with a spike on the end of a baulk of 2x4 timber to make holes in the pipe and then stand underneath and have a free drink.

[@timfricker4152]

Great hair colour Rebecca that's so Paul can find you in the woods love you videos

[@DeneF]

"I'm not going to pronounce that in Roman". Lol. Would that be Latin then Rebecca? Lol. Or the more modern Italian? Great video. Many thanks.

[@SteamCrane]

Ancient Latin or Catholicized Latin?

[@michaelcampin1464]

Rebecca must be a paragon of virtue. Putting up with Pauls Interests although she probably enjoys it too. Dont worry about Grey ive fone White.

[@pit_stop77]

Visit pompei plenty examples of beautiful roman crossroads there 😁 Love Rebecca's new hair colour btw

[@SteveHall-Author]

I enjoyed this; you are both producing some interesting videos. You are going grey Paul (!), at least it isn't falling out.

[@brucetheloon]

A buck says the GPSS pipeline builders followed route 43 down and then turned onto route 44. Keeps it away from modern road infrastructure and someone had already plotted the routes on a convenient map. They probably buggered up one of the ditches doing so. Love the new hair colour, works well in the dappled green of the woods.

[@LeslieGilpinRailways]

Great exploration of the forest. Surprised you didn't investigate the curve in the road north of the junction

[@pluggedinpete]

Been meaning to go up into savernake, lived in Wiltshire all my life and never been there. Or to Stonehenge. Entertaining video yet again Loving Rebecca's hair, she's always gorgeous though. You're a lucky bloke Paul!

[@JimNicholls]

Shouldn't there have been traffic lights? By the way, Ivan Margary's surname was pronounced similarly to Margaret (except for the ending, of course), not in the strange way you came up with this time. That is a wonderful piece of forest, and I hope it never gets destroyed. Great video - thanks for all your hard work!

[@SuperGyre]

Margary does seem to have been transformed into a Scotsman..

[@gaugeonesteam]

Wow, what a great video. you 2 really bring this Roman stuff to life.

[@ROBSHOTZ]

Time Team called it Ca net e o. Love your adventures.

[@tardismole]

Rebecca, I may have missed the debut of your hair, so I'll say it here: Spectacular colour! Right, back to the video... A bit disappointed that you couldn't find the junction, but not entirely surprised. If i had to guess, I would say that they tended to be larger in area than roads, to allow for rain run-off and for turning corners.

[@raytheron]

Absolutely fascinating! Love the hair, too, Rebecca!

[@exileinderby51]

Loved the video but loved Rebecca's hair colour more!

[@briantheminer]

Great video, fascinating how you can see the Roman road profile thanks to your camera work. Love the hair Rebecca 👌

[@flxaryamanp3387]

Great video. A suggestion, You must look for Isaac Moreno Gallo videos about "Calzadas Romanas" (Roman Road) in Spain. There are a lot of discovers about the roads. He is talking too about Roman ingeniery (Acueductos, minas, ciudades, ...) and have a great documental about this. (sorry about my english), God jod, congrats.

[@paulmartin7241]

Interesting as always ! I always learn something new form your videos , looking forward to next weeks video already !

[@andreww2098]

GPSS =Government Pipeline Storage System, set up during and after WWII to transport fuel around the country and over to europe after D-Day and secure fuel supplies, was partly mothballed in the early 2000's and then what was left privatised in 2015

[@gbcb8853]

In addition, Savernake Forest was an encampment for soldiers prior to D-Day. Maybe there was a WW2 'filling station' nearby.

[@highpath4776]

@@gbcb8853 Is it also connected to the Shale Oil wells of south dorset and hampshire ?

[@johntodd6081]

Coincidence I am reading this on 6th JUNE and one of my primary school worked on PLUTO (pipe line under the ocean)

[@techElephant]

It was sold to the Spanish Compañía Logística de Hidrocarburos (CLH) in 2015 🙄

[@andreww2098]

@@highpath4776 it was used to supply aviation fuel to airfields and is still used to supply the major airports with jet fuel, try and imagine how many tanker trucks you would need to supply just Heathrow at 22 million litres a day!

[@paulinehedges5088]

I SO look forward to Sunday evening's with you two. Always interesting. LOVE the new hair colour!

[@iammcwaffles5514]

I wonder if the Roman cobblestones are still there underneath all that earth on the road.

[@MM0IMC]

Paul is going grey, but Rebecca is the one with the hair dye! LOL Nice shade of red, by the way. 👍

[@manmeetsinghmahajan6183]

Amazing 👏

[@robinwatling6538]

enjoyable as ever thank you

[@MichaelSebastianTodd]

brilliant video

[@MrGreatplum]

Fascinating video. These pipelines seem to pop up everywhere. In my part of the world, there’s one that goes under Kingswood (very pricy housing) in Surrey and people have to be very careful!!

[@K1W1fly]

Perhaps the GPSS Pipeline (A strategic fuel pipeline laid secretly during WW2) used the alignment of the old roman road as excavating that would be less noticeable on aerial photos - could be why the road doesnt show on LIDAR either - its profile has been modified..

[@K1W1fly]

There is a GNSS fuel pipeline that runs from Aldermaston to Avonhead, which when plotted as a straight line on Google Earth, goes straight through the area.

[@RichardWatt]

@@K1W1fly although would the pipeline always follow a completely straight line along the whole of its route?

[@K1W1fly]

@@RichardWatt No, not the whole route and the direct line isnt exactly on that spot, but if the pipeline had some existing linear feature nearby to follow...

[@UsualmikeTelevision]

Great Episode!!

[@martinmarsola6477]

An interesting tour, thanks! Cheers mates!

[@vincebagusauskas278]

Rangas are cool. Oh I digress. Great vid once again

[@biggles50405]

Great video again guys, loving Rebecca's hair colour although she still disappears in the trees ☺️

[@ROBSHOTZ]

Thanks!

[@tokk3]

Nice! Great entertainment value!

[@paulnorton5670]

there is a roman crossroad North of Shepton Mallet on the Mendip where the Salisbury to Priddy Pool (then Lead mine) crosses the Fosse Way.

[@Matt-pt3vq]

Another cracking video.

[@michaelcampin1464]

There is that dreaded loop in a straight Roman Road that you explained before.

[@robedmundsvid]

I'm not sure if anyone else has mentioned but the Wansdyke is pronounced with "Wan" sounding like "gone" or "swan".

[@MrVorpalsword]

Didn't Cutenio play for Liverpool - I thought there was a Services at the junction of the M43 & M44 ?

[@EddieBlueHalen]

J’aime bien quand vous faites une randonnée n’importe quoi vous trouvez !

[@pwhitewick]

Merci

[@Vinemaple]

I was expecting more of a hullabaloo when Rebecca's new hairstyle finally appeared in a Paul and Rebecca Whitewick video... For no well-supported reason, I wouldn't be surprised if Roman roads didn't have any special features at all in most rural junctions. I expect most crucial junctions would have been in town or had town built upon them.

[@neiltaylor6070]

Love the hair Rebecca

[@Sarge084]

Rebecca 'England's Glory' Whitewick. Seriously though, there aren't many who can carry it off, but you can... with spades!

[@Simon_Nonymous]

Nicely nice, just very unlucky with the pipeline

[@ReubenAshwell]

I found this video very interesting. :)

[@etherealbolweevil6268]

The stretch in the woods near Wilton is rather nice.

[@richardeljay]

Excellent. Grew up on a farm in Savernake in 70s/80s. Spent a lot of time in the woods as a kid including exploring those road ditches (and old US WW2 ammo dump sites). And GPSS does indeed mean Government Pipeline and Storage System. Was a MoD system, built in WW2, and sold off to a Spanish oil company in 2015.

[@chrisoffer3074]

I grew up in Marlborough we used to play in savernake forest and play in the old railway tunnel and buildings that were still there

[@darylmears9683]

I was wondering if anyone had already mentioned this. A pumping station for the pipeline can be seen along the A4 towards Hungerford from Marlborough. It is rare to come across one of the marker posts with GPSS still on it, they have normally been replaced by the company that now owns it, but there are a couple out there that have been missed.