Monument record 447/1/2 - Watling Street: Section at SP574723

A hand-dug trench across Watling Street in 1977 identified a central carriageway with narrower side-lanes either side, creating a three-lane highway. The construction of the road was very simple. No side ditches were found.

{1} Excavation in 1977 of a section cut through Watling Street revealed at least 2, possibly 3, parallel carriageways, the central one being twice as wide as the outer flanking ones. The road construction was simple, consisting primarily of a rearrangement of the gravel subsoil. 1 Romano-British pot sherd as well as some post medieval pottery was also found. A large abandoned gravel pit lay to the west of the trench. This gravel pit is cut by the Rugby-Northampton railway, authorised in 1875 and so pre-dates it.

{7} Walk-over inspection of Watling Street between SP58007123 and SP56747351. Currently in good or very good condition with no major current sources of active damage.

<1> Brown A.E.; Hannan A., 1978, Watling Street & the Gartee Road: some work on two Roman roads in Northamptonshire (Kilsby and Corby), 13/88-9 (checked) (Journal). SNN30174.

<1> Brown A.E.; Hannan A., 1978, Watling Street & the Gartee Road: some work on two Roman roads in Northamptonshire (Kilsby and Corby), 13/90 (checked) (Journal). SNN30174.

<2> 1979, CBA GROUP 9 NEWSLETTER, 9/9 (checked) (Note). SNN15452.

<3> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1982, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p.206/Site 1f (unchecked) (Series). SNN77382.

<4> 1978, Britannia, 9/442 (unchecked) (Journal). SNN55814.

<5> RPS CLOUSTON, 1995, DIRFT Planning Submission: Watling Street Conservation Brief, (checked) (Full Report). SNN105134.

<6> RPS CLOUSTON, 1995, DIRFT Watling Street: Conditions Survey, (checked) (Full Report). SNN105133.

<7> Cadman G., 2000, Watling Street At Dirft - Note On Condition - 29th May 2000, (checked) (Report). SNN100566.

Record last edited

Feb 7 2022 10:25AM