Fosse Way
|
Roman Britain, with the Fosse Way in red |
The
Fosse Way was a
Roman road in
England which linked
Exeter (
Isca Dumnoniorum) in
South West England, to
Lincoln (
Lindum) in the
East Midlands, via
Bath (
Aquae Sulis),
Cirencester (
Corinium) and
Leicester (
Ratae Coritanorum).
It formed a junction with a number of other Roman roads. It linked with the
Akeman Street and
Ermin Way at Cirencester,
Watling Street at
Venonis (High Cross) south of Leicester, and at Lincoln the Fosse Way joined another Roman road, the
Ermine Street.
For the first few decades after the
Roman invasion of Britain in AD
43, the Fosse Way marked the western frontier of Roman rule in Britain. The word 'Fosse' is derived from the
Latin Fossa meaning 'ditch'. It is possible therefore that the road began as a defensive ditch which was later filled in and converted into a road. Or possibly a defensive ditch ran alongside the road for at least some of its length.
The Fosse Way is the only Roman road in Britain to retain its original Latin name. Most others were named by the
Saxons, centuries after the Romans left Britain.
Many parts of the Fosse Way still exist and form parts of modern roads, although there are many gaps. Between Lincoln and
Leicester the
A46 follows the route of the Fosse Way. The A46 deviates from Fosse Way at
East Goscote, to follow the
Leicester Western Bypass. The original alignment is still visible, as an unclassified road called
Fosse Way passes through
Syston, continuing as the minor road
Melton Road, through
Thurmaston, before then merging with the the
A607 (the old A47), then continuing into the city centre on the old alignment, first as Melton Road, then Belgrave Road and Belgrave Gate. The alignment terminates at the
Clock Tower, and picks up again at Narborough Road (the A5460), on the other side of the
River Soar.
South of
Leicester, apart from a short deviation near
Narborough where the original course is no longer visible, the road follows the route of the old A46. Upon the building of the
M69, this part of the A46 was renumbered as the B4114. However, a couple of miles north of Watling Street, now the
A5, the B4114 diverges from the line of the Fosse Way, to pass through the village of
Shamford. For just over a mile, the route of the Fosse Way is followed by a minor road which although single track, runs along a much wider and slightly domed strip of land with deep ditches either side. The modern road ends at a picnic site car park where a further mile southwards can be explored on foot.
At High Cross (Roman name VENONIS) on the A5, a modern road picks up the alignment again as the
B4455 in
Warwickshire. The B4455 follows the route of the Fosse Way for the entire length of Warwickshire, until it joins the
A429 near the border with
Gloucestershire.
The A429 follows the Fosse Way's route until just south of the town of
Cirencester. Beyond the A429, a short section of the A433 continues along the Fosse Way. However, after this point, the Fosse Way route does not correspond to any major modern roads. Between that point and
Bath the only modern routes to follow the road are short, unconnected sections of a few country lanes. Part of the border between Gloucestershire and
Wiltshire also follows the road's old course, including a section through the former
RAF Kemble.
Between
Bath and
Exeter, the Fosse Way's route is roughly followed by a number of modern roads, including the A367,
A37 and
A303.
*
Roman Britain*
Roman roads in Britain*
Map of Roman roads in Britain - Very large map; opens in separate window.
