This is a journey along the Fosse Way¹, the important north–south road running up the western side of Great Britain. The road runs from Exeter (Devon) in the South to Lincoln (Lincolnshire) in the North, forming one of the main routes in Roman Britain.

At Lincoln, the Fosse Way joins Ermine Street where travellers could continue their journey north through Owmby or could turn back towards the south through Ancaster (Cavsennae). This would suggest that trade goods from the Empire entered Roman Britain from the southern end of this major thoroughfare and were distributed throughout Britain.

Travelling on the Road

Travellers on the road were served by a system of way stations or mansios. The privately-owned cauponae were also established along the routes, providing basic hostel-like accommodation. The upper classes, however, would have used the better tabernae; these began as houses on the roadside offering a service similar to the modern 'bed and breakfast' system. Travellers would also need sufficient money to pay the various tolls along the way.

The Start of The Fosse Way

Unlike Watling Street, the Fosse Way has one clear starting point: Exeter in Devon. This was originally a Roman legionary fortress, founded by the Second Legion in 46 AD in a riverside settlement of the Dumnonii. It was clearly a well-placed settlement, as the town flourished and developed into a prosperous town and port.

The Fosse Way follows two separate routes for one portion of its length, in the section between Exeter and Bath. The northeastern route goes directly from Honiton to Ham Hill. The eastern route goes from Honiton to Ham Hill via Axminster.

We are going to travel back in time to 100 - 200 AD, when the journey described in this Entry would have been possible. You will see over 20 settlements, from the grand to the rural, some of which existed just to serve the garrison of the fort near where they were built, and to give shelter to the travellers on the Fosse Way. The journey on foot will take a minimum of about nine days - that's assuming you walk eight hours a day, travelling an average of 32 to 33 miles per day. It is interesting to note that the longest distance between any two points on this journey is the 23 miles between Honiton and Ham Hill on the northeastern route. This is less than one day's travel for foot soldiers, although wagons and carts could be as slow as eight miles a day. All distances given are starting from Exeter.

The condition of the towns and sites today are shown by the numbers at the start of each section:

• 1 = No longer visible, or built over.
• 2 = Some evidence visible in the ground: building platforms, mounds and crop marks.
• 3 = Some ruins are visible above ground.
• 4 = Visible site with museum support.
• 5 = A major site and tourist attraction.

In addition, the Roman name of the each site is given, where known.

Exeter

Roman name: Isca Dumnoniorum
Translation: 'The riverside settlement of the Dumnonii'
Condition: 4

Exeter was a British tribal city and a Roman legionary fortress of the Second Legion², and was founded in 46 AD. Originally a Celtic oppidum (tribal capital), Exeter was built on the river Exe. The town had a basilica, a forum, temples and baths. The houses were of timber and stone, and mosaic floors and painted plasterwork were not uncommon. The town also had a very busy and prosperous port at Topsham, 3 miles to the southwest.

Topsham - the port for Exeter

Condition: 1

The settlement was originally intended to provide a port to supply the legions in Exeter and the West of Britain. There were timber-framed houses and a few stone buildings, with some paved streets.

To start your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, travel east-northeast from Exeter to Honiton - 18 miles.

Honiton

Roman name: Muridunum
Translation: 'Hillfort of the dead'
Condition: 1

Honiton³ was a small religious and trading settlement built alongside the Fosse Way. The settlement developed around 48 AD, around a hill fort that was on the border between the territories of the British tribes the Dumnonii and the Durotriges.

Total so far, 18 miles.

To continue your journey, there are two routes:

• On the Fosse Way northeast, continue to Ham Hill - 23 miles.
• On the Fosse Way east, continue to Axminster - 9 miles.

Axminster

Condition: 1

Axminster is reached on the eastern route of the Fosse Way between Honiton and Ham Hill. Alternatively it can be bypassed by taking the northeastern direct route.

The settlement was founded as a fort in 64 AD, on the Fosse Way and built as a defended settlement with earth and timber ramparts and faced with a ditch. Sited in a farming area, it was a prosperous settlement of timber-framed and stone housing and some municipal buildings, trade buildings and warehouses with paved streets. There was a small port on the River Axe.

Total so far, 27 miles.

To continue your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, continue north⁴ to Ham Hill - 20 miles.

Ham Hill

Condition: 2

There was a fort at Ham Hill built by the Second Legion, the Augusta, in 46 AD. A trading settlement developed alongside the fort and the Fosse Way. The settlement was of timber-framed housing and a few stone buildings, with some paved streets. The settlement was established to take advantage of the stone quarries in the area⁵.

Total so far, 41 miles.

To continue your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, continue northeast to Ilchester - 6 miles.

Ilchester

Roman name: Lindinis
Translation: 'The place of lime trees'
Condition: 2

A settlement defended with earth and stone ramparts and ditches, the town had a wide variety of housing, several temples and a theatre, with stone municipal buildings, and mainly paved streets.

There was a junction of the Fosse Way and local roads to Old Sarum (Sorbiodunum), Bawdrip, East Anton, West Coker and Dorchester to the east of the town.

Total so far, 47 miles.

To continue your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, continue northeast to Shepton Mallet - 16 miles.

Shepton Mallet

Condition: 2

The Roman town at Shepton Mallet was a prosperous settlement of timber-framed and stone housing and stone-built municipal buildings. There were trade buildings, warehouses and paved streets. The town was a local centre for a pottery-producing industry that supplied the whole province. There were more than seven pottery kilns sited to the southwest of the town.

Total so far, 63 miles.

To continue your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, continue northeast to Camerton - 9 miles.

Nettlebridge Valley Roman Coal Mines

Condition: 1

The Fosse Way passes a landmark on this part of the journey, the open cast Roman coal mines in the Nettlebridge valley. There is evidence of this in the area together with traces of buildings associated with trade in this resource.

Camerton

Condition: 1

The settlement at Camerton was a thriving one, with earth and timber ramparts and ditches, a wide variety of housing, a temple, a theatre, stone municipal buildings, some paved streets and a busy market.

Total so far, 72 miles.

To continue your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, continue northeast to Bath - 7 miles.

Bath

Roman name: Aquae Sulis
Translation:'Waters of Sul'
Condition: 5

An important settlement and a major religious centre, the town was the site of a hot water spa, with a pool and springs dedicated to the deity Sul (Minerva). The pool was enclosed by a bath house sanctuary complex with eight or more temples surrounding it. Of the main temples, one was built with a square floor plan and three had a rectangular plan. They were all built alongside the Fosse Way. The town was defended by earth and stone walls. Within the walls, the settlement was of stone and timber-framed housing and fine stone municipal buildings with paved streets, inns and bathhouses. Stone and mosaic floors were not uncommon. There was a wide variety of shops and traders serving the town and surrounding area. The town also had a small port at Sea Mills at the mouth of the Avon river. There was a local pottery industry near the town. Bath was also connected to the South Coast trading port at Poole Harbour, 37 miles away. Salt, local produce, limestone and shale from Purbeck and Wareham were all traded for goods from Gaul.

Total so far, 79 miles.

To continue your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, continue northeast to Nettleton - 8 miles.

Nettleton

Condition: 3

The settlement at Nettleton⁶ was defended by earth and timber ramparts and faced with a ditch. There were timber-framed houses and a few trade buildings and shops. There was a stream alongside the settlement with evidence of a water wheel to serve the settlement. Of the three religious sites in the settlement, the temple to the goddess Diana was built with a rectangular floor plan; the other two were both shrines dedicated to the god Apollo.

Total so far, 87 miles.

To continue your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, continue northeast to Easton Grey - 8 miles.

Easton Grey

Condition: 2

The settlement was founded on the Fosse Way and defended by earth and timber ramparts and faced with a ditch. Sited in a farming area, it was a prosperous settlement of timber-framed and stone housing and some municipal buildings, trade buildings and warehouses with paved streets.

Total so far, 95 miles.

To continue your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, continue northeast to Cirencester - 14 miles.

Cirencester

Roman name: Corinium Dobunnorum
Translation:'The settlement of the Dobunni on the Churn river'
Condition: 5

Starting as a fort to guard the Fosse Way crossing of the river Churn, it was at this point the town's expansion began. With good connections to the prosperous estates in the area, the wool and cattle trade flourished. The town was a rival to London being the second largest in Britain. There was a basilica, a forum, a temple and baths; these were followed by a temple complex to the southeast of the town and an amphitheatre. The houses were of timber and stone and mosaic floors were common in the homes of the many leading citizens. There were mosaic craftsmen established in the town serving clients in a wide area. There was a wide variety of shops. Glass making, brick, tile and pottery production were all established in the town. Cirencester was noted for its gold work.

The following inscription was found in Cirencester, dating from 100 - 190 AD:

This translates as 'The sower Arepo guides the wheels with great care.' The inscription can be read in four different ways: forwards, backwards, downwards, or upwards starting at the end, and it gives the same sentence in each case. The word Arepo, used here as a name, appears to have been invented specially to fit the letters, as it appears nowhere else in Roman literature. The exact same inscription has been found in other parts of the Roman Empire, for example, in Herculaneum, Italy, in 79 AD.

It is not clear what the inscription is intended to signify. Some have suggested that it is a magical invocation, or that it is connected with the cult of Mithras⁷.

Another suggestion is that it was a secret sign used by early Christians. The letters can be rearranged to form a cross, in which the horizontal and vertical bars each spell out Pater Noster ('Our Father'), a Christian form of address for God the Father, and the remaining letters form A and O in the corners, which would be a representation in Roman letters of Alpha and Omega, a sign for Jesus Christ.

This theory is very neat, but unlikely to be true. Herculaneum was a holiday village for rich Romans, not the sort of place that wandering Christians who had only arrived in the country 15 years before would be likely to find themselves. And despite the fact that Nero had crucified a number of Christians, including St Peter, in Rome in 64 AD, the Christians were not in general persecuted and were free to practise their religion, and so would have had no need of secret signs. The real persecution of Christians by the Romans didn't come until the time of Diocletian, a few hundred years later.

Total so far, 109 miles; this is approximately the half way point of the journey to Lincoln.

To continue your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, continue northeast to Bourton on the Water, passing Chedworth - 15 miles.

Chedworth Villa Estate

Condition: 2

The Fosse Way passes a landmark on this part of the journey, the villa estate of Chedworth. The largest of the many estates in the area, it was built near the river Coln. Evidence of the wealth of the villa are found in the remains of mosaics and hypocausts⁸. With its size and wealth, it would have dominated this part of the Cotswolds.

Bourton on the Water

Condition: 2

The Roman trading settlement at Bourton on the Water was built on either side of the Fosse Way. The settlement was of timber-framed housing and a few stone municipal buildings, with mainly paved streets.

Total so far, 124 miles.

To continue your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, continue northeast to Dorn - 8 miles.

Dorn

Condition: 1

Situated at the modern hamlet of Dorn near the village of Moreton-in-Marsh, this was a large market town, built as a defended settlement with earth and timber ramparts. There were timber-framed houses and buildings, and mainly paved streets. Little is known of the settlement and all but the location are lost.

Total so far, 132 miles.

To continue your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, continue northeast to Ettington - 9 miles.

Ettington

Condition: 1

The settlement at Ettington was a small market town, with timber-framed houses and buildings and some paved streets. Little is known of it, as all but the location are lost.

Total so far, 141 miles.

To continue your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, continue northeast to Chesterton on Fosse - 8 miles.

Chesterton on Fosse

Condition: 1

Chesterton on Fosse was founded as a way station at a point where the Fosse Way crossed a small river. This grew into a small market town, with timber-framed houses and buildings, and mainly paved streets.

Total so far, 149 miles.

To continue your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, continue northeast to High Cross - 22 miles.

High Cross

Roman name: Venonis
Translation:'Place of poison plants'
Condition: 2

Founded before the arrival of the Romans in Britain, and built as a defended settlement with earth and timber ramparts and faced with a ditch, High Cross was at the junction of Watling Street and the Fosse Way. It was a settlement of timber-framed houses and a few trade buildings, with mainly paved streets.

Total so far, 171 miles.

To continue your journey:

• On Watling Street, go west-northwest to Mancetter (Mandvessedum) - 10 miles.
• On Watling Street, go southeast to Caves Inn (Tripontium) (2) - 7 miles.
• On the Fosse Way, continue northeast to Leicester (Ratae Corieltauvorum) - 12 miles

Leicester

Roman name: Ratae Corieltauvorum
Translation:'The capital of the Corieltauvi⁹'
Condition: 3

Leicester was probably a Claudian vexillation¹⁰ fortress of the 14th Legion¹¹ in 46 - 47 AD, and a British tribal city (civitas) of the Corieltauvi.

Total so far, 183 miles.

To continue your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, continue northeast to Willoughby on the Wolds (Vernemetum) - 14 miles.

Willoughby on the Wolds

Roman name: Vernemetum
Translation:'Spring Grove'
Condition: 2

Vernemetum was a walled town defended with earth and timber ramparts and ditches, with a wide variety of good housing, a temple and a theatre. There were stone municipal buildings and mainly paved streets.

Total so far, 197 miles.

To continue your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, continue northeast to East Bridgford - 10 miles.

East Bridgford

Roman name: Margidunum
Translation:'The margin of the hill'
Condition: 1

The Roman settlement of Margidunum lay right on the Fosse Way at the point where the present roundabout leads to East Bridgford¹². It was defended by earth and timber ramparts and faced with a ditch. Sited in a farming area, it was a prosperous settlement of timber-framed and stone housing and some municipal buildings, trade buildings and warehouses, with paved streets.

Total so far, 207 miles.

To continue your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, continue northeast to East Stoke - 7 miles.

East Stoke

Roman name: Ad Pontem
Translation:'The place of the bridges'
Condition: 2

The settlement at East Stoke¹³ was first founded as a fort of the Ninth Legion¹⁴ in 46 - 47 AD, and the Roman name 'The Place of the Bridges' gives the reason for the fort's founding. It was established at a crossing of the river Trent where a pre-Roman trackway (from Denton to Aldborough - Isurium Brigantum) also crossed the river. The settlement grew to serve the fort and the surrounding areas. It was an ideal site and the defended settlement grew with a wide variety of housing. There was a busy market and trading centre, and there were several temples and a theatre, with good stone municipal buildings, and mainly paved streets.

Total so far, 214 miles.

To continue your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, continue northeast to Brough - 7 miles.

Brough

Roman name: Crococalana
Translation:'The place of crows'
Condition: 2

Founded on the Fosse Way and close to the river Trent, Brough was built as a defended settlement with earth and timber ramparts and faced with a ditch. It had timber-framed housing and a few trade buildings and shops. The town also had some impressive stone buildings that were possibly temples, and a way station or mansio for travellers on the road.

Approximately two miles west of Brough, there is a marching camp of the 14th Legion built in 46 AD.

Total so far, 221 miles.

To continue your journey:

• On the Fosse Way, continue northeast to Lincoln - 10 miles.

Lincoln

Roman name: Lindum
Translation:'A pool of dark water'
Condition: 4

The settlement of Lincoln was first founded as a legionary fort of the Ninth Legion in 46 - 47 AD.

With good connections to London   (Londinium) via Ermine Street, trade flourished. A basilica, forum, temple and baths were built; these were followed by a temple complex. The homes were of timber and stone and mosaic floors were not uncommon. There was a wide variety of shops. Bronze making, brick, tile and pottery production were all established in the town.

Lincoln was the terminus of the Fosse Way. The total distance travelled from Exeter was 231 miles on the direct route, and 237 miles if the route through Axminster was used.

Although this is the end of the route, you could continue your journey in a few ways:

• To the east to Horncastle (Bannoualum) - 22 miles.
• On Ermine Street, north to Owmby - 10 miles.
• On Ermine Street, south to Ancaster (Causennae) - 17 miles.

Horncastle

Roman name: Bannoualum
Condition: 1

The town was founded as a defended settlement. Substantial defensive works similar to Portchester were built. Good connections to the sea were important for trade: there is no evidence of a port, but landing areas were possible. The settlement lay on the road connecting to Lincoln and the Fosse Way, and was defended by earth and timber ramparts and faced with a ditch. It had timber-framed housing and a few trade buildings and shops.

Total so far: 253 miles, 231 miles on the Fosse Way and 22 miles on unnamed roads.

To continue your journey:

• To the east to Skegness - 20 miles.

Skegness

Condition: 2

The town was founded as a port; good connections to the sea were important for trade. The settlement was connected to Holme next the Sea by a ferry running across the Wash, the great estuary on the east coast of England. It had timber-framed housing and a few trade buildings, warehouses and shops.

Total so far, 273 miles: 231 miles on the Fosse Way and 42 miles on unnamed roads.

To continue your journey:

• On the ferry, cross southeast to Holme next the Sea on the southern shore of the Wash - 14 miles.

Holme next the Sea

Condition: 2

The settlement was a ferry port on the southern shore of the Wash. Good connections had already been established before the Roman invasion. There is evidence for a small trade port. It had timber-framed houses and a few trade buildings and warehouses.

Total so far: 287 miles, 231 miles on the Fosse Way, 42 miles on unnamed roads, and 14 miles by sea.

To continue your journey south to London and the south coast.

• On the Peddars Way, to Kempstone.
• On the Fen Causeway, from Kempstone to Water Newton (Durobriuae), Cambridgeshire.
• On Ermine Street, from Water Newton to London - Londinium.
• On Stane Street, from London to Chichester and Bosham, a sheltered harbour with trade routes to Gaul and the Empire. This would have been a very important east coast route.

Milestones

A Roman mile is 1,000 paces¹⁵ and a milestone was set up to mark each mile. Each milestone had a dedication to the Emperor of the day.

The Milliarium Aureum (golden milestone) was placed in Rome, on the orders of the Emperor Augustus, as the starting point from which all distances to other parts of the empire were to be measured. Milestones on Roman roads gave the distance to Rome as well as local information. 'All roads lead to Rome'... and, evidently, away from it.

Notes on Roman Roads

At the height of the expansion of the Empire, roads were built at the rate of one kilometre every day. Initially, the cost of the road was borne by the state; after that it was the responsibility of the local government to raise the money to keep the road in good repair. An official called the Curatores Viarum was appointed who had to raise the money to maintain the roads in his care.

Roman roads were not free. There were tolls collected at the towns along the course of the road. As a point of interest, the bridges were a particular source of revenue. This explains the survival and continuous use of fords along the routes.

The Roman surveying tool the groma or 'surveyor's cross' could not be used to survey round corners. It was a line-of-sight tool that could only be used to plot straight lines, as in roads, or in 90 degree right angles as used in laying out towns. Thus Roman roads are straight or cornered in a series of straight sections.