Monument record 195 - The Jurassic Way

The Jurassic Way is a corridor for traffic, rather than a single track, that dates at least from the Early Bronze Age and may well have begun in the Neolithic. It is in the Early Iron Age, however, that it becomes clearly defined as a line of movement between the culturally progressive centres of Yorkshire and Somerset, the most likely course being the junction of the lias and the oolite.

{4} An important prehistoric routeway connecting the north-east and the south-west of Britain, referred to as The Jurassic Way. It entered the county close to the bridge at Stamford and probably passed Wakerley, Duddington and Harringworth, keeping to the middle of the slope above the Welland. Beyond Gretton it followed the uplands running south-west from Rockingham between the Welland and the Ise. Here the ridge is about 450-500ft above sea level and the route takes a direct line along the high ground to a mile north of Desborough. There are two likely alternatives for the course here; one went through Great Oxendon, Naseby and West Haddon to Daventry, keeping to the high ground; the other crossed the Ise at Newbottle Bridge and continued past the Iron Age site at Draughton. Thence there were two routes south. The eastern one curved round, avoiding Faxton stream, and became a wide, grass-verged, hedge-lined road. Its great age is suggested by the fact that it serves as parish boundaries here for ten miles. It crosses Broughton Common, a disused lane, and strikes the Kettering to Northampton road which was turnpiked in the early C19th. Thence to the Nene crossing where it swings south-west to Hunsbury Hill. The other alternative route is through Lamport where it joins the main Northampton to Market Harborough road through Brixworth. From Hunsbury it covers the 22 miles to Banbury keeping to the high gound and thus maintaining commanding views all the way.

{5} The Jurassic Way is a corridor for traffic, rather than a single track, that dates at least from the Early Bronze Age and may well have begun in the Neolithic. It is in the Early Iron Age, however, that it becomes clearly defined as a line of movement between the culturally progressive centres of Yorkshire and Somerset, the most likely course being the junction of the lias and the oolite.

{9} The cropmark of a possible hollow way in the vicinity of the line of the Jurassic Way can be seen on HE Reconnaissance aerial photographs taken 2nd June 2009. This cropmark crosses a field to the north of Easton on the Hill. It can be traced for c.300m and is centred on TF 0086 0495.

{11} Article discussing recent aerial photography and instances where part of the Jurassic Spine may have been identified. Parishes where cropmarks had been identified included Stowe-Nine-Churches (SP6356), Harlestone (SP7164) and Desborough (no grid reference provided).

{12} Possibly located more exactly at SP835837 (at Desborough).

<1> Clark G., 1940, Prehistoric England, p.72 (unchecked) (Book). SNN108197.

<2> Grimes W.F. (Editor), 1951, Aspects of Archaeology in Britain and Beyond : Essays Presented to O.G.S.Crawford, p.144-71 (unchecked) (Book). SNN59693.

<3> Ordnance Survey, 1962, Map of Southern Britain in the Iron Age, p.17 (unchecked) (Map). SNN74240.

<4> Steane J., 1974, The Northamptonshire Landscape, p.35-6 (part checked) (Book). SNN5137.

<5> NATIONAL MONUMENTS RECORD, 2012, NMR Monument Report, UID 1035203 (part checked) (Database). SNN108196.

<6> Richards J., 2013, Rye Hill, Watford Gap: Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment, (unchecked) (Report). SNN109596.

<7> Oakley E., 2013, Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment: Land off Guilsborough Road, West Haddon, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN109623.

<8> Flitcroft M., 2013, Archaeological Desk-Based Assessment: Land East of West Haddon, Northamptonshire, (unchecked) (Report). SNN109624.

<9> Oblique Aerial Photograph, 26321_019-022 02-JUN-2009 (Aerial Photograph(s)). SNN111738.

<10> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Linear File, Ordnance Survey Linear Archive File LINEAR 77 in NMRC (Notes). SNN112996.

<11> Pickering, J, 1978, The Jurassic Spine, p. 140-143 (Article). SNN115412.

<12> Ordnance Survey Map (Scale/date), OS 1:10,000 (Map). SNN112944.

Record last edited

Feb 5 2025 6:12PM