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Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.
#99
Quote:Can you give the co-ordinates for the Dunstable site, it sounds like it's getting as serious as any of the other candidates if the two of you are bagging it.
Here it is on Bingmaps - it's actually Kensworth that I'm thinking of.

Kensworth map

The Chalk pit only dates from the 30s, but the area was used for lime burning before that, and was heavily wooded from at least the middle ages. The problem here is the definition of a 'defile' and a 'plain'. I had believed that the narrow valley leading up from the road towards the chalk pit (around Lodge Farm on the map) might work, but it's far too narrow and curves away from any level ground. So the area to the south, around Kensworth village itself might be better - the Roman line perhaps following the minor road next to Nash Farm. There's enough room here for a line of 0.7 miles, which would fit 10,000 men I think. The land rises and narrows to the north-west into Dunstable Down, which is the escarpment of the Chilterns.

Alternatively, the Roman line could have blocked the road itself, just north-west of Lodge farm, with a rise to either side and Dunstable on the high ground behind them - but Tacitus would surely have mentioned if there was a town behind them, rather than woods!

But all this is sheer idle fancy, of course... Confusedmile:

Quote:However a great lesson in how a caring, connected, Dad can create a TV historian in single series.
Ah yes, 'my historian son Dan' :wink: It's quite funny that the pronunciation of Boudica as 'Boo-dikka' is now so universal, after replacing the incorrect Boadicea. It's most likely the name was pronounced Bow-Dee-kah...

Quote:I thought you might like to read the latest, second attempt at using novel techniques, in this case hydrology, to refine the search.
I did, thanks! A very thorough analysis. I'm still not utterly convinced by a battle site west of Silchester though - I suppose the town could have been destroyed and not registered on the Tacitean radar, but it seems more likely that the destruction of a major allied tribal centre, with Roman-style town planning, would have added one more to the list of 'sacrificed' locations... :-?
Nathan Ross
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Messages In This Thread
Re: Calling all armchair generals! - by Ensifer - 03-11-2010, 03:13 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-18-2012, 06:26 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Nathan Ross - 02-18-2012, 07:12 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 12:02 AM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 02:50 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 05:40 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 11:26 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 05:11 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 09:42 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 10:10 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 03:11 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 03:25 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 08:36 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-26-2012, 02:57 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-27-2012, 01:50 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 08-05-2012, 02:24 PM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-07-2014, 02:18 PM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-08-2014, 01:50 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-11-2014, 02:03 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-18-2014, 07:54 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-20-2014, 02:37 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-25-2014, 08:29 AM

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