Monument record 9701/7/2 - Possible woodland ride or Roman road, Salcey Forest

A linear earthwork identified for c400m on lidar imagery. The feature was originally interpreted as a possible medieval/post-medieval woodland ride. More recent interpretation suggests that it may be part of the Roman road between Magiovinium and Duston Roman town.

{1} The LiDAR survey suggested that there is a linear feature at least 400m long. To the north of the road the earthwork exists as a low, wide bank, measuring 7m wide and up to 0.15m high, cut by a number of drainage ditches. To the south of the road it exists as an earthwork bank flanked by a ditch, but it could not be traced further due to dense overgrowth. It total it measures 3.5m wide, with the bank up to 0.15m high and the ditch measuring 0.3m deep. Here, the earthwork may have been later remodelled as a drainage feature.
It is on the same alignment as a woodland ride to the east of The Lawn and may be a continuation of this. However, it does not appear on the historic OS maps.

{2} The proposed alternative route of RR172 enters Salcey Forest from the south-east, to the east of Salcey Lawn. The survey by Simmonds [above] identified a 400m long southeast-northwest oriented linear feature which crosses Forest Road. This feature is in direct alignment and continuation with the lidar linear coming from Stokepark Wood.

<1> Simmonds C., 2011, Archaeological Walkover Survey at Salcey Forest, Northamptonshire, p.14 (checked) (Report). SNN108238.

<2> Kirk, W, 2025, A Lidar based appraisal of the Roman Roads in Northamptonshire, p. 23-4 (Article). SNN116907.

Record last edited

Mar 3 2026 10:50AM