Roman Roads in Britain

[mcbishop]

The website that accompanies my new book, The Secret History of the Roman Roads of Britain, is now online. The book (and the website) contains much of relevance to Roman (and later) military history (come on, you didn't seriously think I could write something that didn't, did you?!).

Mike Bishop

[dengland]

Thanks. Good material.

[66kbm]

On its way....the book not the website.
Please Mr Bishop, stop making so many books, they are making me so skint...;0
Fortresses were good.....Roads, I can relate to more, and possibly help/add a few more.
I love Roman Roads......maybe that's why I have no wife
Kevin

[PhilusEstilius]

I think one of the major aspects of Roman roads was indeed the maintenance of them for was there not a mention from Vindolanda how one of the local roads was in such a bad state of repair.
This is where we have to think was work needed on them a central government responsibility or did it become part of a local system for most of the major roads were for heavy movement of troops when needed.

[mcbishop]

On its way....the book not the website.
Please Mr Bishop, stop making so many books, they are making me so skint...;0

Well they're not making me rich, I can tell you that for free. In fact, time taken writing books like that doesn't even pay national minimum wage and I have to bear that in mind ever time I think of writing a new one (since I don't have an academic post to fund such research).

Fortresses were good.....Roads, I can relate to more, and possibly help/add a few more.
I love Roman Roads......maybe that's why I have no wife

Other reasons are, of course, available ;-)

Mike Bishop

[mcbishop]

I think one of the major aspects of Roman roads was indeed the maintenance of them for was there not a mention from Vindolanda how one of the local roads was in such a bad state of repair.

That reference (Tab. Vind. 343) -- dum viae malae sunt (whilst the roads are bad) -- is actually ambiguous and could just as easily refer to the fact that Dere Street between Catterick and Corbridge could be blocked by snow in what is now County Durham (one of the only places in England that still has to have a snow-blower to keep the road open during winter, I seem to remember). Better Latinists than I (Duncan?) might care to argue over the sense of dum, but you catch my drift (pun intended). Thus it need not be a reflection on the actual state of the surface of the road and the need for maintenance, just a reminder of the sometimes extreme British weather.

Mike Bishop

[PhilusEstilius]

Mike.
Thank you for that bit of info' very interesting and like you mention he appears to have been concerned for the animals so it may well have been winter weather.

[66kbm]

Suns out in Devon......Boy, those men must have begged for a posting to II AVG at Exeter.. Could they do this?
Kevin