Roman roads in Britain facts for kids
The Romans built amazing things, and their roads were some of the most impressive! In a place they called Britannia (which is now Britain), the Romans built a huge network of paved roads. They were here for almost 400 years, from 43 AD to 410 AD.
Today, we know there were about 2,000 miles of these Roman roads in Britain. You can even see them on maps like the Map of Roman Britain by the Ordnance Survey. This map shows us where these ancient roads most likely ran.
Before the Romans arrived, the people of Britain used simple dirt paths. Some of these paths, like the South Downs Way, ran along hilltops and were very old. But the Roman roads were different. They were carefully planned and built from scratch. The goal was to connect important places using the straightest routes possible. These roads were paved, which meant heavy wagons could use them all year round, no matter the weather.
Most of the main Roman road network was finished by 180 AD. Their main job was to help the Roman army move soldiers and supplies quickly. But they were also super important for trade and moving goods around the country.
Even after the Romans left Britain in 410 AD, their roads were still used for hundreds of years. People didn't start building paved highways in England again until the 1700s!
Contents
Building Roman Roads: A Masterpiece
The Romans were experts at building roads, which they called viae. These viae were special, main roads, different from smaller paths. By law, a straight via had to be at least 2.4 meters (about 8 feet) wide. If it had a turn, it had to be 4.9 meters (about 16 feet) wide.
Roman engineers were very skilled. When they planned a new road, they first looked at the land. Then, special surveyors called agrimensores would mark out where the road would go. They used tools like rods and a device called a groma to make sure everything was straight and at right angles.
Next, workers called libratores would start digging. They used ploughs and spades to dig a ditch, or fossa, down to solid ground. The depth of this ditch depended on the land.
How Roman Roads Were Layered
The best Roman roads were built with several layers, like a cake! This made them incredibly strong and long-lasting. Here's how they did it:
- Layer 1: The Base First, the native earth was leveled and packed down tightly.
- Layer 2: Foundation Stones On top of the earth, they put a layer of stones that were small enough to hold in your hand. This layer was called statumen.
- Layer 3: Rubble and Concrete Next came a layer of broken stones mixed with lime, forming a kind of concrete. This was called rudus.
- Layer 4: Fine Cement Above that, they added a layer of fine cement, made from crushed pottery and lime. This was the nucleus.
- Layer 5: The Surface The very top layer was the dorsum or agger viae. This was the actual road surface, made of large, flat stones. These stones were shaped so the road was slightly curved in the middle, like a tortoise shell. This helped rain drain off the sides.
- Footpaths and Edges On each side of the main road, there were raised footpaths called crepido or semita. There were also edge-stones, called umbones, to keep everything in place.
The exact way they built roads could change depending on the location, the materials they had, and the land. But the basic idea was always the same: layer different materials to create a strong, durable road.
They would fill the fossa (ditch) with lots of rubble, gravel, and stone. Sometimes, if they could find it, a layer of sand was added. When the road was about one meter (three feet) from the surface, it was covered with gravel and pressed down. This process was called pavire.
The Romans also used concrete, a material they had rediscovered (it was also used in Ancient Egypt). They would mix the concrete right in the ditch. First, a rough concrete layer, then a finer one. On top of this, they placed the final paving stones. These top stones were crowned, or curved, to help with water drainage.
For example, an old basalt road near the Temple of Saturn in Rome had special travertine paving stones. It also had basalt blocks, a concrete base, and even a gutter for rainwater!
Important Roman Roads in Britain
Here are some of the most famous Roman roads in Britain:
- Watling Street
- Ermine Street
- Dere Street
- Stane Street
- Fosse Way
- Portway
Images for kids
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Roman lighthouse at Dover Castle, 3rd century. Dubris was the starting point of Watling Street to London and Wroxeter
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Via Appia, near Rome. The oldest major Roman route in Italy (opened 312 BC). This, one of the best preserved stretches in the world, from Rome to Boville (near Albano, 18 km (11 mi), detail shown), is paved with stone blocks. In Britain, more humble materials were generally used.
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Roman milestone, from St Margarethen, Austria. The 201 dedication is to the Emperor Septimius Severus (ruled 193–212).
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19th-century reconstruction of the British section of the Peutinger Table, a medieval copy of a probably Late Roman original map. The original section showing Roman Britain (Britannia) is lost.
