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. As we approached our first birthday, RRRA was extremely proud to mark the 40th anniversary of his death by hosting the inaugural Ivan D Margary Memorial Conferences. Programmes for the conferences, and a selection of the papers presented, are still available by clicking the “2016 Conferences” tab above.

The RRRA is working on updating and enhancing in a comprehensive way what Margary started.

Introducing R.R.R.A.

Two examples of how a typical Roman road survives today

We intend to refresh the home page photo on a frequent basis. We would  be pleased to consider contributions from members and non-members alike for potential use on this page, and for use in the gazetteer as it develops.

Other News

From 8th April to 10th September, the Tullie House museum in Carlisle is hosting an exhibition entitle ”Hadrian’s Cavalry” revealing how the Roman Cavalry was organised and the crucial role it played in Carlisle, across the wall and throughout the whole Roman Empire. The exhibition features the Crosby Garrett Helmet.

Part of RR14, London to Barcombe, on the High Weald  in Ashdown Forest, East Sussex. The agger (raised mound on which the road was built) was exposed some years ago, and the ditches either side of the agger were also revealed, but it has all been quickly colonised with heather and gorse. In upland areas, this is about the best you might expect to see, as so many aggers are buried beneath the peat and dense heathland vegetation.

Looking east across Headingley Golf Course, north of Leeds, West Yorkshire, along the course of RR72b, Ilkley to Tadcaster. The raised agger is still just visible beneath the remains of a post medieval hedgebank which followed the line of the road. It might at first seem hard to believe, but this is actually one of the best preserved Roman roads in Yorkshire. We’ve included these two images as fairly typical examples of how Roman roads in Britain present themselves today - not at all spectacular and easily overlooked

© RRRA 2017. With grateful thanks to Headingley Golf Club for permission to take and publish this photo

© RRRA 2017.

Update: 15/9/17

The FWAAP (Fridaythorpe Fimber Wetwang Archaeological Project) excavation near Wetwang, in partnership with RRRA, who also secured the funding, is nearing completion and has yielded some fascinating results. This community excavation, led by James Lyall, has been investigating a known Iron Age ladder settlement which became in effect a roadside settlement on RR810, Stamford Bridge to Bridlington. Results so far suggest that the ditches of the trackway, previously thought to be partly late Iron Age, may actually be all from the Roman period. There is also a rectangular building, possibly a barn, and the mysterious “big pit” , a well constructed perfectly circular pit some 6m in diameter, which has so far yielded mainly late Roman pottery sherds, including amphorae fragments.

Open day to be held on Sunday 17th September - tours at 10.30am, 12.30pm, 2.30pm. Green Lane, off the A166 between Fridaythorpe and Wetwang, SE 909 591

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.

Work has been progressing on the Gazetteer of Roman roads in Yorkshire, and whilst it has taken longer than anticipated, it should be complete by mid September. In the mean time, you can view a sample gazetteer entry, for RR72b Ilkley to Tadcaster, to get an idea of what the finished product will look like, and a measure of the work involved in undertaking this project.

The gazetteer will eventually be able to be accessed through an interactive online map.