Difference between revisions of "Portway"
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[[File:Portway - geograph.org.uk - 3186.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Portway Roman road near Palestine, Hampshire]] | [[File:Portway - geograph.org.uk - 3186.jpg|right|thumb|300px|Portway Roman road near Palestine, Hampshire]] | ||
The '''Portway''' was a [[Roman road]] running through [[Hampshire]] and [[Wiltshire]], from ''Calleva Atrebatum'' ([[Silchester]]) to ''Sorviodunum'' ([[Old Sarum]]). | The '''Portway''' was a [[Roman road]] running through [[Hampshire]] and [[Wiltshire]], from ''Calleva Atrebatum'' ([[Silchester]]) to ''Sorviodunum'' ([[Old Sarum]]). | ||
==Route== | ==Route== | ||
| − | The Portway covers a distance of | + | The Portway covers a distance of 36 miles from ''Calleva Atrebatum'' ([[Silchester]]) to ''Sorviodunum'' ([[Old Sarum]]).<ref name="codrington">[http://penelope.uchicago.edu/Thayer/E/Gazetteer/Periods/Roman/Topics/Engineering/roads/Britain/_Texts/CODROM/9*.html Roman Roads from London to Silchester and the West], Thomas Codrington (1903) ''Roman Roads in Britain''</ref><ref name="johnno">David E. Johnston, (2002), ''Discovering Roman Britain'', pages 63-4. Osprey</ref> It was one section of the route running from ''Londinium'' ([[London]]) to ''Durnovaria'' ([[Dorchester]]). |
Halfway along the Portway, at [[East Anton]] just outside [[Andover]], the road crossed another major Roman road, [[Ermin Street]], which ran from ''Venta Belgarum'' ([[Winchester]]) to ''Cunetio'' ([[Mildenhall, Wiltshire|Mildenhall]]) and ''Corinium Dobunnorum'' ([[Cirencester]]).<ref name="codrington"/> The crossroads at East Anton provided the nucleus for a small town which formed after the two roads were built.<ref name="lewis"/> | Halfway along the Portway, at [[East Anton]] just outside [[Andover]], the road crossed another major Roman road, [[Ermin Street]], which ran from ''Venta Belgarum'' ([[Winchester]]) to ''Cunetio'' ([[Mildenhall, Wiltshire|Mildenhall]]) and ''Corinium Dobunnorum'' ([[Cirencester]]).<ref name="codrington"/> The crossroads at East Anton provided the nucleus for a small town which formed after the two roads were built.<ref name="lewis"/> | ||
==Construction== | ==Construction== | ||
| − | Between the two towns are two prominent and intervisible high points: [[Cottington's Hill]], from which Silchester can be seen, and [[Quarley Hill]], from which Old Sarum can be seen.<ref name="lewis">Michael Jonathan Taunton Lewis, (2001), ''Surveying instruments of Greece and Rome'', page 234. Cambridge University Press.</ref> It is likely that these two high points provided the necessary locations for surveying the road.<ref name="lewis"/> A section of the road in excellent preservation was carefully examined close to the Amesbury branch railway where the agger is very clear.<ref name="margary">Ivan Donald Margary, (1957), ''Roman Roads in Britain: Volume 1''</ref> In the construction the surface soil had been cleared away, and a layer of chalk rubble laid down and cambered to give a thickness of 18 cm at the centre.<ref name="margary"/> Upon this was a layer of large flints, | + | Between the two towns are two prominent and intervisible high points: [[Cottington's Hill]], from which Silchester can be seen, and [[Quarley Hill]], from which Old Sarum can be seen.<ref name="lewis">Michael Jonathan Taunton Lewis, (2001), ''Surveying instruments of Greece and Rome'', page 234. Cambridge University Press.</ref> It is likely that these two high points provided the necessary locations for surveying the road.<ref name="lewis"/> A section of the road in excellent preservation was carefully examined close to the Amesbury branch railway where the agger is very clear.<ref name="margary">Ivan Donald Margary, (1957), ''Roman Roads in Britain: Volume 1''</ref> In the construction the surface soil had been cleared away, and a layer of chalk rubble laid down and cambered to give a thickness of 18 cm at the centre.<ref name="margary"/> Upon this was a layer of large flints, 3-4 inches thick, which was topped with a layer of local gravel 12 inches thick and well cambered.<ref name="margary"/> There were V-shaped ditches on each side of the road 32 feet from the south kerb and 34 feet from the north kerb, making a total width for the road zone of 84 feet to the ditch centres.<ref name="margary"/> |
==Outside links== | ==Outside links== | ||
{{commons}} | {{commons}} | ||
| + | *Location map: {{wmap|51.17003|-1.63378|zoom=14}} | ||
==References== | ==References== | ||
{{reflist}} | {{reflist}} | ||
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| − | |||
[[Category:Roman roads]] | [[Category:Roman roads]] | ||
Latest revision as of 14:33, 16 November 2018
The Portway was a Roman road running through Hampshire and Wiltshire, from Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester) to Sorviodunum (Old Sarum).
Contents
Route
The Portway covers a distance of 36 miles from Calleva Atrebatum (Silchester) to Sorviodunum (Old Sarum).[1][2] It was one section of the route running from Londinium (London) to Durnovaria (Dorchester).
Halfway along the Portway, at East Anton just outside Andover, the road crossed another major Roman road, Ermin Street, which ran from Venta Belgarum (Winchester) to Cunetio (Mildenhall) and Corinium Dobunnorum (Cirencester).[1] The crossroads at East Anton provided the nucleus for a small town which formed after the two roads were built.[3]
Construction
Between the two towns are two prominent and intervisible high points: Cottington's Hill, from which Silchester can be seen, and Quarley Hill, from which Old Sarum can be seen.[3] It is likely that these two high points provided the necessary locations for surveying the road.[3] A section of the road in excellent preservation was carefully examined close to the Amesbury branch railway where the agger is very clear.[4] In the construction the surface soil had been cleared away, and a layer of chalk rubble laid down and cambered to give a thickness of 18 cm at the centre.[4] Upon this was a layer of large flints, 3-4 inches thick, which was topped with a layer of local gravel 12 inches thick and well cambered.[4] There were V-shaped ditches on each side of the road 32 feet from the south kerb and 34 feet from the north kerb, making a total width for the road zone of 84 feet to the ditch centres.[4]
Outside links
 |
("Wikimedia Commons" has material about Portway) |
- Location map: 51°10’12"N, 1°38’2"W
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 Roman Roads from London to Silchester and the West, Thomas Codrington (1903) Roman Roads in Britain
- ↑ David E. Johnston, (2002), Discovering Roman Britain, pages 63-4. Osprey
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 3.2 Michael Jonathan Taunton Lewis, (2001), Surveying instruments of Greece and Rome, page 234. Cambridge University Press.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 4.2 4.3 Ivan Donald Margary, (1957), Roman Roads in Britain: Volume 1
