Roman roads in the changing landscape of eastern England, c.AD410-1850

• Main Author: Albone, James
• Published: University of East Anglia 2016
• Subjects: 936.2
• Online Access: https://ethos.bl.uk/OrderDetails.do?uin=uk.bl.ethos.716393

Roman roads are one of the most important legacies of the Roman period in Britain and many of the routes that they define still remain in use today. Although they have long been the subject of academic research, their history since the end of the Roman period has been largely overlooked. By studying the use, significance, and survival and loss of Roman roads in parts of eastern England between the fifth and mid nineteenth centuries this thesis directly addresses the gap in the existing literature. The survival of Roman roads is intrinsically linked to the continued existence and significance of their destinations, be they former Roman settlements or new (urban or religious) locales. Whilst destinations continued to function the roads leading to them also remained in use. When destinations failed the roads ceased to serve as long-distance routes and became prone to fragmentation and loss. The initial breakdown of the Roman road network commenced as part of wider societal and landscape changes in the eighth century when former Roman settlements finally ceased to function. Sections of some Roman roads continue to be used as local roads today but countless more were probably removed during the post-medieval enclosure process. Roman roads have significantly influenced the development of the landscape through which they pass by acting as foci for burials, settlements, churches and economic activity. They have also functioned as boundaries, most notably those of medieval parishes – a role which influenced the continued use of some roads. The relationships between Roman roads and the surrounding landscape, and the factors affecting their survival and loss, examined in this thesis are also applicable to roads of other periods. Consequently the findings presented here not only advance our knowledge of Roman roads but also have wider implications for English landscape history.