Contrebis 2020 v38

LANCASTER'S ROMAN ROADS: A LiDAR REAPPRAISAL

David Ratledge

Abstract This paper updates our understanding of the Roman roads around Lancaster, using LiDAR data.

Introduction Lancaster was an important hub in the Roman road network of north-west but the roads, although known in principle, have either been imprecisely located or have had long stretches where the route has been lost completely. Traditional methods of finding these missing parts, such as field walking and aerial photography, have just about been exhausted. Fortunately, with the advent of LiDAR, many of those missing pieces have been located. LiDAR data are usually collected from an aeroplane scanning the ground with laser beams of light that can measure the height of the ground with great precision. Often used for flood defence, LiDAR has greatly helped archaeology. LiDAR height data for England are freely available from the Environment Agency. The coverage for is patchy but what is available has proved revealing. Much of Lancashire's Roman road network is now known with reasonably high confidence (Figure 1).

Figure 1. The Roman road network around Lancaster

Walton-le-Dale to Lancaster (23 miles) Between Preston and Lancaster the Roman route has been notoriously difficult to ascertain but this has not stopped considerable speculation. The Ribble was crossed just downstream of London Road Bridge and the line across Preston as far as Watling Street Road was known approximately from Victorian reports. One report described it as just south of Watling Street Road but very imprecisely as “about halfway between Withy Trees and Fulwood Barracks” (Watkin 1883, 69–70). South from Lancaster the road was known approximately for just over a mile. In Victorian times there were reports of the road being found at Ripley Heights and the Royal Albert Hospital. South of this the evidence dried up but it was assumed to have gone via Burrow Heights and . But the features on the aerial photography supporting this turned out to be a relic of glaciation.

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What was needed was at least one certain spot, preferably near the half-way point, from which the line could be traced outward in either direction. The key clue was first spotted several years ago by Peter Iles on an aerial photograph. It was in a field just west of the A6 near Stanzaker Hall and, when a pipeline cut through it, a cobbled road was revealed. Yet doubts still remained. There were several other candidates – one with a cobbled road at Clay Lane Head. Fleet Street and Street House were suggestive of another route. What LiDAR revealed unambiguously was that the Stanzaker Hall section was part of an impressive length of Roman road construction (the raised ‘agger’) (Figure 2). It was clear across several fields and a small wood. This settled the argument.

Figure 2. The breakthrough LiDAR image showed the cobbled road at Stanzaker Farm

Projecting the line southwards indicated a crossing of the near Ordnance Survey National Grid reference SD5092 4057. South of the Barton Grange complex the alignment reappeared in the LiDAR imagery passing (SD5115 3976) and Barton heading to crossings of Dean Brook (SD5258 3603) and Barton Brook (SD5233 3668) (Figure 3). So the straight A6 at Barton is not the Roman line. Projecting the new alignment southward takes it over Banister Hill (Durton Lane) and across Fulwood to meet those Victorian locations.

Projecting northward from Stanzaker Hall, the road would have passed over Hill. In 2016, just south of Community Academy, probable traces of the road were located using ground-penetrating radar and an excavation by Wyre and Wigan Archaeological Societies. Two parallel features were recorded which were interpreted as the ditches of the road (SD4977 4384). Continuing this alignment towards Garstang, there is a very prominent agger visible in the LiDAR data north of Castle Lane approaching the Wyre (SD4947 4508). Movements of the Wyre over the centuries means the Roman bridge site was most likely further south-east than today’s river (SD4942 4520) but it seems that its east abutment could have survived (Figure 4).

North of Garstang, Lancaster Road and the A6 probably follow the Roman line before the latter made a slight turn north-west along Fowler Hill Lane. This led to the realisation that the west gate post of the Turnpike Cottage at (SD4907 4668) was in fact a Roman milestone. It is of typical Roman form with a square base and cylindrical top (Figure 5).

Fowler Hill Lane was suspected as the course of the road and LiDAR confirmed this, the agger visible along the modern road. At Cabus Cross Roads the agger is seen on the ground and in LiDAR imagery (SD4845 4831). Beyond , Kiln Trees Lane marks the course approximately but this has been so worn away by traffic that it is now a hollow-way. 63

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Figure 3. Oblique 3D LiDAR image (looking north) showing the Roman road passing Barton

Figure 4. Oblique 3D LiDAR image (looking south) showing the line of the Roman road from Bowgreave Hill to the crossing at Garstang

It was always expected that the road passed through Forton as there was a clue (a probable milestone) albeit moved from its unknown original position. LiDAR shows the line of the road crossing Forton Hall Farm and turning slightly towards the River Cocker Bridge (Figure 6). A

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Contrebis 2020 v38 public footpath at the farm leads to the road where foundations stones are visible in the hedge bottom (SD 4771 5022).

Figure 5. This Roman milestone had been hiding in full view opposite Turnpike Cottage, Cabus

Figure 6 Oblique 3D LiDAR image (looking north) showing the Roman road from Cabus Cross to Lancaster. The blue has been chosen to indicate what was probably the sea in Roman times.

Having crossed the River Cocker at, or close to the modern bridge, the road line is likely represented by the modern road through (Main Street). A projection southwards of an alignment discovered at Ashton (see later) indicates that the Roman road must turn off the modern road and head for Lancaster somewhere near Broad Gate – perhaps a significant name. This was confirmed by finding the road agger 7 metres wide by 0.5 metres high in Thurnham Woods, near the church (SD4661 5433) (Figure 7). This route should not have been unexpected. Bill Shannon brought to my attention John Leland’s account of his journey through Lancashire around 1540 (Smith 1907). His route from Garstang heading north was over the Cocker Bridge and via Cockerham village, which he described as ‘by the sands’.

At Ashton the agger is clear in the LiDAR, passing through both the field where a milestone was found and another where the famous statuary was discovered during the construction of the canal 65

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Figure 7. One of the best surviving lengths of the Roman road from Walton-le-Dale to Lancaster lies in the bluebell woods opposite Thurnham RC Church

(Watkin 1883, 180–2; White 1992). This statuary has been interpreted as being from a mausoleum in Cemetery 22 (Iles and Shotter 2009). The location of this cemetery was problematic if the road was to the east of Burrow Heights heading for Galgate. Cemeteries were invariably alongside roads. With the road now correctly located everything fits (Figure 8). Heading into Lancaster, the traditional route is rejoined and the alignment is not to the fort on Castle Hill but along Penny Street and Cheapside (Figure 9). This was confirmed in 2005 with the discovery of the road (and a magnificent tombstone) just north of Lancaster Canal at Road (Iles and Shotter 2009).

Figure 8. Three pieces of evidence confirm the alignment at Ashton: the clear agger in the LiDAR image, the find spot of a Roman milestone and the location of the Mausoleum/Cemetery

Lancaster to Watercrook, (about 20 miles) The road from Walton-le-Dale to Lancaster targeted Penny Street, heading north to Watercrook, Kendal (Figure 10). The Historic Environment Record (Ref. 2532) includes a possible Roman road at Deerslet, south of Burton-in-Kendal but describes it as having only “circumstantial

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Figure 9. Oblique 3D LiDAR image (looking east) of the Roman roads in Lancaster. The fort was most likely reached via a link road along King Street evidence”. The most recent publication regarding a possible route for this road was by Robert Entwistle (2008–9). To get to Kendal there are realistically only two options for avoiding the marshy ground north of Warton. The first keeps close to the coast and the second heads inland via Burton-in-Kendal, the route suggested by Entwistle. However, the route to Kendal has proved elusive with virtually no solid evidence. Because Leland’s itinerary followed the Roman road south of Lancaster, perhaps his itinerary north would too. His route is clearly described as Lancaster – Keer Bridge () – Warton – ‘Bytham’ (=) – Kendal. Was such a route feasible?

Extending the Penny Street alignment northwards follows the A6 Slyne Road. Visible in the LiDAR data is a short length of what looks like a Roman road agger near Bolton-le-Sands (SD48488 66987). This site was excavated on 3/4 November 2015 but in the time available only a part cross- section of a road was exposed (Figure 11). But visible in the adjacent fields was a prominent agger continuing across the next two fields to the north towards Carnforth.

Leland refers to crossing the where it was tidal – almost certainly Keer Bridge/Warton Bridge (SD4974 7123) – and he passed through Warton village. Beyond Warton, Leland provided another useful clue – he described the route as “veri hilly and mervelus rokky”. There is such a route to Beetham that would match his description: it is the one dry way through the Leighton Beck Moss, White Moss and Hale Moss. The route to Beetham that matches a “veri hilly” route climbs over the back of – agreeing too with “mervelus rokky”. In addition there is some LiDAR evidence and signs on the ground that this was the likely route passing under Leighton Hall (Figure 12). The first Leighton Hall did not exist in Leland's time. It is not uncommon for estates to divert public roads away from their grounds and the road from Warton now has a right-angle bend to avoid the estate. A field boundary preserves the straight line at that bend (SD4968 7385). LiDAR shows a small length of agger on the same line (SD4922 7467) beyond the current (second) Hall.

North of the Leighton estate there is only one way to negotiate the mosses of Leighton Beck, White Moss and Hale Moss and get to Beetham. This was via Thrang End Bridge (SD4984 7711). Today Thrang End Bridge is a nonentity but its earlier significance must have been crucial (Figure 13). 67

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The route from Thrang End Bridge to Beetham passes Deepdale Wood and Slack Head and it has several long straight stretches which suggest a Roman route.

Figure 10. The suggested route from Lancaster to Watercrook via Beetham

Figure 11. The location of the excavation at Bolton-le-Sands and the excavation itself. Only limited time was available for the excavation. This may be the east ditch of the road and about 1 metre of the road.

Beyond Beetham Leland gives one final clue. “By Bitham is a greate parke and a goodly place yn hit land of the Erle of Darby. By Bytham rennith Byth h water a preaty [river,] and by likelihod shuld resort toward Kennet.” [Note: Bitham/Bytham = Beetham; Byth = Bela; Kennet = Kent.] Anyone who has made the short journey from Beetham and Milnthorpe is familiar with this view of the River Bela and the parkland. You can easily understand why Leland commented on this as "preaty" (pretty) and certainly fixes his route to the A6 here (SD4964 8063). At Milnthorpe Leland appears to have gone inland rather than the direct route to Kendal but the A6 continues very directly with several straight stretches as far as Leven’s Bridge, as would be expected if it were Roman.

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Figure 12. Oblique 3D LiDAR image (looking north-west) showing the suggested route across the north side of Warton Crag and heading for Thrang End Bridge

Figure 13. LiDAR image of the mosses surrounding Thrang End Bridge

Just north of Leven’s Bridge, on the east side of the A6, is the cutting of an older road (SD4962 8537) so perhaps this is the Roman route. This line would indicate that the road to Watercrook was on the west bank of the River Kent possibly masked by the A6 again. Despite considerable searching I can find no traces in the LiDAR data for a road on its eastern bank as would be the case for a road via Burton-in-Kendal. The conclusion is therefore that the road approached Watercrook fort on the western side of the River Kent. The recently found continuation of this road onwards to Ambleside is also on this side of the river, which strengthens this assertion (Figure 14).

Ribchester to Lancaster via (10.7 miles to Catterall) The search for a road between Ribchester and Lancaster has been ongoing for at least 150 years. These were probably Lancashire's two most important Roman sites, so good communications would have been essential. The existence of a village, farm and bridge called Street, close to a direct line, increased the speculation. 69

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Figure 14. LiDAR image and map of the recently discovered Roman road leaving Watercrook fort for Ambleside. It is believed the road from Lancaster could have approached the fort on the west bank of the River Kent and shared a common bridge to the fort

The OS First Edition Map (c.1846) showed a “Supposed Roman Road” across Fell towards Beacon Fell and those ‘Street’ names have led to much speculation. Margary (1967) included this road as his route number 704 but he cautioned it was, in part, “uncertain”. The most recent description was by Graystone (1996, 23–43) – ‘the Graystone route’.

The latest LiDAR coverage (Series 2, 2019) does not support Margary 704. However, LiDAR revealed a previously unknown route heading to Catterall, where it joins the Roman road from Walton-le-Dale to Lancaster. This has many engineering advantages over the route via Beacon Fell and Street. The terrain is much less severe and this enabled straight alignments to be employed. In addition, only 10.7 miles (17.2 km) of new road construction would have been needed. The Graystone route was very sinuous due to the hilly terrain. This would have resulted in a route much more difficult to construct. The Romans likely headed straight to an existing road (Figure 15). The first alignment from Ribchester initially follows Longridge Road but, where Margary 704 was thought to turn off, it actually carries straight on. It crosses Fleet Street Lane just east of Setters Cottage (SD 6306 3688) and changes alignment about 185 metres beyond here at approximately SD 629 370. It makes a small turn towards Longridge, heading for a much more sensible place to cross Longridge Fell than the OS First Edition portrayed. This second alignment passes under Stonelands Farm and the aggers, both before Stonelands and after, have survived remarkably intact (Figure 16). Approaching Stonelands, the cambered cross-section survives, approximately 8 metres wide and 0.6 metres deep in the centre (SD6261 3707 to SD6245 3712).

At Stonelands there is a Roman milestone (Shotter and Tostevin 2011, 117). Its provenance is uncertain: it has been moved. However, if it were from another Roman road, as Shotter and Tostevin postulated, this would have involved a move of at least 2 miles. A move from this road on the other hand would be a move of just metres. Given the size of the milestone, this seems more likely and an original location here would match a distance of 2 miles from Ribchester (Figure 16).

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Figure 15. LiDAR image of the full route from Ribchester to Catterall where it joined the Walton- le-Dale to Lancaster road.

Figure 16. The prominent agger of the Roman road just south of Stonelands. This length of agger appears to be a replacement road alongside the original. The re-erected milestone (inset) possibly records this new length of construction.

The route then crosses the B6243 near the Corporation Arms but it does not become evident again in the LiDAR data until crossing the fields at Dilworth. It begins a new short alignment at SD 6131 3754 to ease the gradient of the climb by cleverly angling across the slope – typical Roman engineering. It is aiming for what is now the junction of Higher Road and Green Lane at SD6095 3753. From Green Lane the alignment is towards Road/Alston Arms and continues to the River Brock. The view ahead from Green Lane is excellent and this new alignment is parallel to the alignment passing Stonelands – again a typical Roman characteristic. The onward sighting point from Green Lane is likely to have been the high ground west of Inglewhite around Bourne Brow and thence down to the River Brock crossing.

Beyond Longridge, the route runs across Kidsnape Farm where there is documentary evidence confirming the road here. A Lancashire Archives document dating from 1200AD describes the land

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Contrebis 2020 v38 boundaries of the farm, which included a reference to “the old causeway” (Lancashire Archives). A causeway described as “old” in 1200 can only refer to the Roman road. A visit to Kidsnape in 2016 found the road stones about 30cm down in several trial pits. From Kidsnape to Bourne Brow the road agger is remarkably clear in the LiDAR data. There is a fractional change of direction near Palegate Farm (SD 5562 3962). Between Palegate Farm and Inglewhite the remains of the west bridge abutment at Sparling Brook have survived as a prominent swell in the ground (SD5534/3972). In Inglewhite, there is a stretch of agger visible (SD5472 3992) just off the village green, best viewed from the side of Chapel House. It aligns with the short road on the western side of the green passing The Barn on the Green.

West of Inglewhite heading for the Brock there was a minor dog-leg to ease the slope down Bourne Brow. The crossing point of the River Brock marks a change of direction. Generally in Lancashire, Roman engineers used high inter-visible points but not in this case. The River Brock is by far the broadest river the road has to negotiate so the crossing point must have been of sufficient importance to dictate where a change of course was to take place. The Brock is a fast-flowing river and no abutments have survived. However, on the north bank, opposite Trout Row Cottages, a cutting for the road leads up from the crossing point (SD5210/4098). In this cutting, a site visit found a curving dog-leg of the road down to the bridge. The height of the cutting above the river confirms that there must have been a bridge here, not a ford (Figure 17).

Figure 17. The crossing of the River Brock

Beyond the River Brock the agger is visible on the ground crossing the fields of Matshead Farm, off Lydiate Lane (SD 5200/4107 to 5190/4117). Here the road was excavated by Wyre Archaeology on 11/12 August 2019 (Figure 18). The following is a summary of the results:  Road surface approximately 300mm below surface.  North side of trench, road disturbed by field drain – south side undisturbed.  Road width: 8 metres.  Road cambered rising approximately 100mm to the middle.  Road material: river gravel/stone (almost certainly from the River Brock).  Surviving road 500mm thick at centre.  Road built on clay – no dark humus layer between stones and clay.  Bottom layer: larger stones (c.200mm size) laid on the clay surface.  Subsequent layers: gravel sizes 25mm to 150mm, mixed.

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 Ditches: extent not obvious but filled with silt.

Figure 18. The Matshead Head Farm excavation. A 1 metre wide trench was cut across the full width of the agger and its ditches. On the right a 1-meter square test-pit was dug through the centre of the road revealing its construction.

Beyond Matshead, Ducketts Lane overlies the Roman Road (SD 5160 4147). There are then faint traces of the agger between the motorway, railway and Lancaster Canal, which have all cut through the road. Beyond the Canal faint traces re-appear and LiDAR shows the agger again either side of Stubbins Lane (SD5043 4265) before it forms a junction with the Roman road from Walton-le- Dale. The actual junction does not seem to have survived but must have been close to Stones Lane (SD 5006 4299). Hence the Walton-le-Dale to Lancaster road predates the Ribchester to Catterall road. The Ribchester to Lancaster road is now 23.3 miles. The discovery of this road disproves the case for Margary 704 (the Graystone Route). With hindsight, the fact that no real evidence had been forthcoming in 150 years of searching should have sounded the alarm bells.

Lancaster to Over Burrow (21.25 miles) - Margary 705 Because of a milestone found in 1803 at , Caton, the existence of this road was certain. Several alternative routes have been proposed for the Lancaster to Caton section. LiDAR has pinpointed all of the route with reasonably high confidence (Figure 19). The breakthrough was spotting on LiDAR imagery the unmistakeable signs of a Roman road (in red) leading from Crag Road over the Ridge and heading north of Old Parkside Farm in the direction of Caton (SD4900 6248 to SD5149 6395) (Figure 20).

The route passes north of an OS triangulation column before angling downhill to just south of the Pumping Station (SD5176 6392). Beyond this, the route follows a slightly different alignment south of Escowbeck House (SD5247 6409) but beyond here, because of modern development, there is only sporadic evidence. Projecting the alignment from Escowbeck House onwards to the east would have seemed logical but it would mean a course close to Artle Bridge, which is over 200 metres downstream of where the milestone was found. This seems unlikely. The location of the find was worked out by Andrew White (1992) as SD5325 6427. However, there are LiDAR indications that the road turned slightly, passing the find spot precisely and more evidence supporting this line is visible just east of St Paul's School (SD 5443 6459). This last alignment at Brookhouse merges with Caton Green Road beyond the eastern edge of the village (Figure 21). The Artle Beck milestone records a distance of 4 MP (mille passum or miles) from “L”, almost certainly Lancaster. The new LiDAR route is remarkably direct and is now a very good match to this distance. The route is therefore consistent with the find spot of the milestone and does not require it to have been moved

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Contrebis 2020 v38 by flood waters, which was necessary with some other previous route suggestions. Its excellent condition had probably ruled this out as it would surely have suffered much damage.

Figure 19. LiDAR has now confirmed almost all the route from Lancaster to Burrow. There are small gaps at the Wenning and Greta.

Figure 20. LiDAR image of the Roman road taking a very direct route over the Ridge towards Caton. No LiDAR coverage available in the bottom right-hand corner.

Beyond Caton Green there are clear indications of the agger east of Rose Bank (SD5590 6600), just south of the A683. This also shows up well on LiDAR imagery either side of Rose Bank House. At Farleton, LiDAR traces are again evident between Claughton Bridge and Toll Cottage where the modern road diverges to the north side (SD5749 6728). The Roman road appears to take a drier southern course avoiding the marshy ground here. At Hornby, no LiDAR signs are visible because of development but extrapolating alignments from both north and south of Hornby would suggest a river crossing close to the modern bridge (SD5849 6839). East of Hornby, LiDAR has revealed the road's possible course north of the modern road approaching Lune View Garage (SD5935 7072) – this can be viewed from a lay-by on the A683 (Figure 22). Beyond Melling, there are traces of an agger south-east of the A683 opposite Sockburn House (SD6019 7188). This was originally spotted

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Contrebis 2020 v38 on an aerial photograph and LiDAR imagery confirms it as the likely road. Projecting the latter alignment forward would indicate a crossing of the around SD6056 7265.

Figure 21. Because of modern developments in Caton and Brookhouse the LiDAR evidence is fragmentary. The milestone is marked ‘M’.

The last mile of the A683 from Tunstall to Burrow fort almost coincides with the Roman line although the modern road does wander off the exact straight alignment, no doubt due to encroachment over the centuries. The exact approach to the fort at Burrow is not obvious in the LiDAR. However, the link road east to the Roman road from Ribchester is revealed for the first time. This arrangement indicates that the Ribchester road predates the one from Lancaster. Also clear in the LiDAR is a western vicus for the fort on either side of a road to the Lune (Figure 23).

Figure 22. Oblique 3D LiDAR image of the road approaching Lune View, Melling. This stretch is prominent enough to be visible on the ground. 75

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Figure 23. LiDAR image of Burrow fort with the visible features marked in red.

Figure 24. Roman roads (definite, probable, possible) around Lancaster overlaid on LiDAR imagery

Possible Roman Road on the North Bank of the The Lancashire Historic Environment Record has for many years recorded a possible Roman road south-west of Oaken Head on the north bank of the River Lune. LiDAR coverage is currently 76

Contrebis 2020 v38 patchy here but fortunately the Oaken Head stretch is clear and quite convincing. However, it is very short and just a single piece of evidence. Beyond here nothing has been spotted that could connect this stretch to Burrow. On balance it possibly is a Roman road but perhaps just a local one serving the north bank of the Lune rather than a through route.

Possible Roman Road from Lancaster to Kilns This has often suggested as a Roman road to the kilns at Quernmore and even on through the . This road is generally direct and has several Roman-like zig-zags to negotiate hills, which does lend some credence to this supposition. However, as yet there is no independent supporting evidence and, with limited LiDAR data here currently, this will have to await the Series 2 LiDAR coverage before progress can be made.

Possible Roman Road across the Sands This is another often suggested route. LiDAR data are available here. There is no sign of a road north-west from Lancaster possibly passing the altar stone found at Folly (Foley) Farm. Nor has any trace has been spotted across the sands in Cartmel.

Acknowledgements The LiDAR images are derived from Environment Agency data. © Environment Agency copyright 2013–16. All rights reserved. The base mapping is from Ordnance Survey Opendata. © Ordnance Survey and from the 1954 Ordnance Survey One-inch Series. Thanks are due to Peter Iles, formerly of Lancashire County’s Archaeology Section, for help in providing professional guidance as well as many database downloads and much supporting documentation. For the new road to Catterall, my thanks are also due to Margaret Edwards for bringing to my attention the milestone at Stonelands. Finally thanks to Mike Aerts who developed bespoke LiDAR 3D modelling software for me that has proved a huge help in finding Roman roads.

Author profile David Ratledge is a former Civil Engineer having worked predominantly in the design and construction of roads and bridges for over 40 years. At Lancashire County Council he also headed the county's GIS unit, which developed the award-winning online GIS system, MARIO. Since retirement he has devoted his time to tracking down lost Roman roads in Lancashire, Cumbria, Cheshire and recently Norfolk.

References Entwistle R 2008–9 Towards Watercrook: Indications of a Roman Road from Lancaster. Contrebis 32, 11– 20 Graystone P 1996 Walking Roman Roads in and . Lancaster: Lancaster University, Centre for North-West Regional Studies Iles P & Shotter D (eds) 2009 Lancaster's Roman Cemeteries. Lancaster: Lancaster University, Centre for North-West Regional Studies Lancashire Archives Feoffment of land in Kidsnape, . DDKS 1/39 Margary ID 1967 Roman Roads in Britain. London: John Baker Shotter D & Tostevin P 2011 A newly-reported Roman Milestone from Ribchester. Transactions of the Lancashire and Cheshire Antiquarian Society 107, 117 Smith LT (ed.) 1907 The itinerary of John Leland in or about the years 1535–1543. London: George Bell Watkin WT 1883 Roman Lancashire. London: Azorabooks [reprinted 2007] White A 1992 Roman Finds and J.S. Slinger, Contrebis 17, 38–9. He records that it was J.S. Slinger who determined the precise find spots of the statuary and also the Caton milestone. Slinger recorded the milestone find spot as ‘245 yards up from the bridge leading from Caton to Brookhouse’. The bridge referred to is almost certainly the site of the modern bridge and White was therefore able to determine the grid reference. This differs slightly from the OS position.

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