Monument record 4227/1 - Possible Romano-British Road Route (Towcester to Duston?)

A road between the Roman towns at Duston and Towcester is considered likely but little evidence has been found to prove its existence. A length of road found within Roman Duston is on the correct alignment [see linked record]. There are varying theories regarding its predicted route further south, but no other confirmed sightings have been made and no cropmark or lidar evidence has been noted. [The mapped route is based on Extensive Urban Survey mapping]

{1} Watling Street is crossed by a road whose course runs from Winchester to Dorchester-on-Thames, on to Alchester in Oxfordshire, and up to Water Newton by Peterborough, and then on to Lincoln. A road to Duston must also exist, marked by the spread of Roman material running north-east from the former railway station at Towcester in the direction of the Roman building at Gayton, although the date of this road is uncertain.

{2} Postulates an alterative route for the road, through Tiffield rather than Blisworth. Also hypothesises that it could have continued through Duston, Dallington, Kingsthorpe and on to Brixworth. Blackburn suggests that the road may have joined Watling Street at cSP689493, close to the route of Old Tiffield Road, and going via Tiffield, with a later road via Blisworth. The suggestions are based on topography rather than observation of cropmarks or physical evidence.

{3} Little is known about the road layout at Duston other than much of the settlement was located along the routes of two roads (from Bannaventa to the north-west and Towcester to the south-west) that met somewhere around SP 732606. It is thought unlikely that the road from Towcester continued north-east beyond the suggested junction because no sign of it was found at Site 1 of the 1970s rescue excavations alongside Weedon Road. A length of road was found during excavations in the 1970s at Duston- a length of road was identified which was aligned south-west towards Towcester.

{4} Despite much searching of the wider area on the lidar data, a road running from Duston to Towcester has not yet been identified. There have been several recent investigations to the north-west of Towcester, none of which have identified a road. The only evidence of support is from the 1880s, when Dryden noted an extensive spread of material running north-east from the Railway Station (north of the present town) towards Gayton and in the the direction of Duston. Kirk acknowledges that crossing the Nene by Duston Mill is sensible for the route between Duston and Magiovinium.

<1> Towcester & District Local History Society, 1995, Towcester: The Story of An English Country Town, p.6 + Fig.2 (checked) (Book). SNN72341.

<2> Blackburn D., 2006, Roman remains in the Duston area, (checked) (Letter). SNN107534.

<3> Taylor J., 2002, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Duston (Roman), p. 8 (Report). SNN103115.

<4> Kirk, W, 2025, A Lidar based appraisal of the Roman Roads in Northamptonshire, p. 8 and 20 (Article). SNN116907.

Record last edited

Jun 3 2026 4:19PM