Monument record 366/0/18 - Roman Roads within Blackgrounds Roman Settlement

The Roman town’s layout centred on two main roads: the 10 m‑wide MR1, which acted as the primary metalled spine linking the town centre with the Margary 166 route, and MR6, a former Late Iron Age hollow‑way later metalled to 5 m that connected the settlement to the waterfront (MR7) and the river crossing.

{1} Within the Blackgrounds town itself there is a complex road pattern indicating that the layout of the Roman town was complex itself and the two main routeways identified within the Site. The main metalled internal routeway (MR1) within the Archaeological Recording area was c.10m wide and aligned north-east to south-west, the latter direction most likely led to the centre of the small town whereas, in the other direction, the route potentially headed perpendicularly towards the recorded Margary routeway (Welsh Road). Excavation revealed successive stone and gravel surfaces, curbing, drainage features, and associated roadside buildings, demonstrating that MR1 served as the main urban spine of the small Roman town throughout its occupation.

Of note was a late Iron Age north-west–south-east aligned hollow-way (MR6) which became metalled in the Middle and Late Roman in date where it was c. 5m wide. This routeway from the waterfront area (MR7) and potentially from the stone bridge/ river crossing point found in Blackgrounds Central and East. MR6 was the only road which extended from the town, aligned roughly parallel to Margary 166 located to the east, and it continued to Blackgrounds North and beyond, presumably to local settlements in the hinterlandThis routeway is an important proof of continuance of use of routeways dating from at least the Middle Iron Age road and then became part of the Roman network.

<1> Rachel Clare, 2023, Post-Excavation Assessment Report for Archaeological Recording at Blackgrounds East and Central Northamptonshire AC310 Site Code: 1C20BLGAR (Report). SNN116993.

Record last edited

May 19 2026 9:25AM