Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.

[Nathan Ross]

Don't forget how close Church Stowe is to Iceni territory (Thrapston, based on Will Bowden's definition BFT 2023). 25 miles of easy going river valley. This is the point where Watling Street is at it's closest to Iceni territory and probably the easiest route into its heartlands.

I think you said that Will Bowden suggested Iceni territory might have extended some way into Cambridgeshire. Isn't Thrapston in Northants?

In any case, the Iceni heartland was much further east. We might guess Saham Toney, Thetford or Mildenhall to be the centre of it.

Church Stowe to Saham Toney is approx 84 miles, via the difficult marshlands of the Wash and Ely. Dunstable to Saham Toney is approx 77 miles, via the well-travelled route of the Iknield Way. If Paulinus wanted to threaten the Iceni heartlands, he would have based himself around there, not further north-west. And he would have attacked while the Iceni were sacking London, or heading back home again, rather than waiting for them to regroup.

With the Romans remaining essentially static at Church Stowe (even if the Britons had a clear idea of where they were!), why would the Iceni not simply remain in their own territory and wait for their enemy to march east and face them on their own ground? Their sole victory against a Roman force (Cerealis) had been an attack on a column advancing towards them, after all.

They would have a much better chance of success by guerrila warfare than in trekking off across country to face professional disciplined troops in a prepared position. As I've said before, insurgent armies throughout history (however bold and reckless they may have appeared) have been very unwilling to do this unless they have no other choice.