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Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.
I have continued to search for the battle site as I have not been able square exactly the choices of the current main sites locations with the battle itself and the final outcome

This is especially true as the result totally relied on the Brythons not being able to leave the field because of the random placement of their baggage train which would seem to be unlikely and that no site appears to have two separate defiles approaching the battleground.

I include my own preferred site in this.

Have we misinterpreted and not given Seutonius Paulinus the credit a general of his standing deserves?

A general that had three successful campaign seasons in conquering the Ordovices and destroying the Druids on Mona as well as his earlier military successes in North Africa.

The translation of Tacitus has given us the impression that he was in the process of withdrawing and was forced to eventually fight to survive.
On the other hand the phrase “breaking off delay” could imply that he had time to regroup and to pick a location that gave him the opportunity to pull in as many forces as possible from other forts, by also choosing in advance a site that could defend his forces but where he could win decisively.

So this puts a different perspective on the battle plan for Seutonius Paulinus as being proactive rather than reactive because now he knew what he had to do to and what he needed to prepare for, including food and water in desert and mountainous conditions.

It was whilst I was revisiting some of the posts that are here and an explanation of John Pegg’s regarding the difficulty of understanding the translation of “faucibus” as in plurals and explanation of defile/s and gullet that I ran the Latin through a computerised translator and instead of a defile the translation mentions  a narrow isthmus as an access to the site as opposed to the standard translation of a  defile.

The only site that I have come across (and I have investigated a lot) that had that type of access (although it being a land bridge joining Aylesbury Plain to the raised area) was at Pitstone Hill near Ivinghoe Beacon. Whilst I was looking at this I also noticed on closer inspection that there was another defile on the other side of the open space and also that the combined entrances and the space in between was in the shape of a gullet including the stomach and the beginning of the intestines. 

Could this have been the missing piece that caused confusion of course it could be co-incidence

I have come to believe that this is indeed the site as it fits a number of criteria that are mentioned:

1. It has only one an access point that is narrow for wagons.
2. A further defile (800 yards) that can be used as a protection for the Roman Army.
3. Surrounding hills that can be used as a trap.
4. A battlefield that is a third of a mile deep and three quarters of a mile wide
5. Protected by woods and a step sided valley as described.
6. Near two major military road (Watling Street and Akeman Street)
7. Overlooks the Icknield Way
8. Within one day’s march of St Albans
9. Water within 1.8 miles
10. Room for a camp.

I seem to remember that somewhere back in the dim and distant past Nathan asked could this area be a site but it was felt not to be suitable however as time has gone on our knowledge has increased.

This site does not appear to have any roman fortifications but does have a Grimms Ditch associated with the site.


Attached Files
.pdf   PITSTONE HILL 6.pdf (Size: 303.49 KB / Downloads: 12)
.pdf   PITSTONE HILL 5.pdf (Size: 530.05 KB / Downloads: 11)
.pdf   PITSTONE HILL 4 .pdf (Size: 563.84 KB / Downloads: 8)
.pdf   PITSTONE HILL 3.pdf (Size: 110.38 KB / Downloads: 7)
.pdf   PITSTONE HILL 1 .pdf (Size: 613.28 KB / Downloads: 8)
.pdf   PITSTONE HILL 2.pdf (Size: 93.25 KB / Downloads: 10)
.pdf   PITSTONE HILL 8.pdf (Size: 58.83 KB / Downloads: 6)
.pdf   PITSTONE HILL 7.pdf (Size: 216.58 KB / Downloads: 7)
Deryk
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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 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
RE: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand. - by Theoderic - 03-06-2021, 01:55 PM

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