“A thousand roads lead men forever to Rome”; Alain de Lille, 1175
All content © Roman Roads Research Association 2016, all rights reserved; unless otherwise stated.
a charity registered in England & Wales, no 1163854.
The Roman Roads Research Association was formed to advance knowledge of the Roman road network and promote the study of Roman roads and Roman heritage throughout the British Isles. Our work is inspired by Ivan D. Margary whose “Roman Roads in Britain ” (1955) remains the most comprehensive gazetteer ever compiled. Now in our fifth year, we are about to launch our Journal, Itinera -
We continue Margary’s work by researching Roman roads using modern technology such as LiDAR, which uses lasers fired from an aircraft to create an incredibly accurate model of the earth’s surface beneath any vegetation, revealing surviving archaeology otherwise not visible. The example below is a Roman road in Cornwall, where until recently there was no firm evidence of any Roman roads at all. This was spotted in 2018 but at least one other road has recently been identified in Cornwall during lockdown thanks to volunteers with the Understanding Landscapes project led by Dr. Chris Smart (University of Exeter).
Introducing R.R.R.A.
Call for Papers: Itinera Vol.2, the RRRA Journal
The homepage image is refreshed on a frequent basis. We would be pleased to consider contributions from members and non-
The first volume of the Roman Roads Research Association own peer reviewed journal, Itinera, is now being typeset and will be released in Spring 2021, and we are now accepting submissions for Volume 2. Itinera is the only journal in the world dedicated to publishing research, fieldwork, and new discoveries that relate to Roman roads or Roman transport infrastructure more broadly, both in Britannia and the rest of the Roman Empire.
We welcome papers which contribute to a better understanding of the road network and its place within the wider context of Roman studies, whether in the UK or internationally.
Itinera includes reports of excavations, new discoveries from lidar, aerial photography, and geophysics, designation of 'new' routes through an expanded Margary system, and a range of peer-
The closing date for final submissions is 15th November 2021; however if you are considering submitting material for Itinera, please contact the Editor using the button below.
13 JANUARY 2021
ITINERA VOL.2 -
Vol.1 of our brand new journal, Itinera looks like being a huge success. It is now being typeset and will be released in Spring, however we are already accepting papers for Vol.2. If you have a paper you would like to submit (or just an idea for a paper), or a note on fieldwork or new discoveries for inclusion in Roman Roads in 2021, please contact our Editor, Robert Entwistle. The deadline for submissions is 15th November 2021.
OCTOBER 2020
RRRA MEMBERSHIP HITS 250
We were pretty chuffed when our membership passed 200 in July, but to add another fifty in the following three months is amazing! We would like to thank all our members for their continued support, which has enabled us to embark on projects such as Living Beyond the Town -
10 JUNE 2020
ITINERA -
We are proud to announce that The RRRA will be publishing our own Journal, Itinera, the first volume to be published in Spring 2021. Click here to find out more.
13 AUGUST 2019
RRRA EXCAVATION ON DERE STREET
From September 21st to October 6th, we will be excavating on Dere Street near Aldborough, N. Yorkshire
2 NOVEMBER 2018
ROMAN ROADS IN CHESHIRE
Roman Roads in Cheshire, by David Ratledge and Neil Buckley have now been added to this website. They will be incorporated into our standard gazetteer format during late 2018 / early 2019
19 MARCH 2018
LAUNCHING OUR NEW WEBSITE
Our new website, the Roads of Roman Britain, is now live! The site features the first phase of our comprehensive gazetteer of Roman roads in Britain, and includes every Roman road in Yorkshire or leading into Yorkshire (53 in total). It also features new interpretations of the British sections of the Antonine Itinerary and the Notitia Dignitatum.
26 DECEMBER 2017
DAVID RATLEDGE’S CUMBRIA PAGES NOW ONLINE
David Ratledge, best known for his work over many years on Roman roads in Lancashire and for his Lancashire web pages on this site, has now completed three years of work reviewing Roman roads in Cumbria.
David’s work will be incorporated into our standard gazetteer format in 2018, but rather than wait we thought it important to make the results of his invaluable work accessible straight away. Access through The Roads of Roman Britain tab on the main menu, or just click the hyperlink above.
SEPTEMBER 2017
THE ROMAN ROAD AT HOLTYE, EAST SUSSEX
In the 1930s, Ivan D. Margary excavated a 250 yard long length of RR14, near Holtye in East Sussex, and exposed a short length of road (about 40 yards) which was fenced off so that it could be viewed by the public. Margary then gave the site, now a Scheduled Ancient Monument, to the Sussex Archaeological Society. The road itself is a valuable example of the Roman use of local materials in road construction, in this case iron slag from nearby Roman iron workings in the Weald.
RRRA and the Sussex Archaeological Society are currently working together to evaluate how the road’s survival may be guaranteed in perpetuity, and to assess how this nationally important site may be best presented to the public. .
Lidar image of a recently discovered Roman road in Cornwall, showing the characteristic raised mound known as an agger, the quarry pits which provided road material, and braiding -