Monument record 1896/1 - Gartree Road (Margary Route 57a: Godmanchester to Leicester)

Route of major Roman long-distance road linking towns at Leicester and Godmanchester (Cambs). Runs roughly north-west to south-east through the northeast of the county from Middleton to Clopton, crossing the River Nene at Titchmarsh.

{2} The Gartree road was a primary long distance route from Godmanchester to Leicester, which changed alignment from the eastern to western sides of the Nene somewhere close to Titchmarsh. Rescue excavations on three phases of Roman bridge carrying the Gartree road across the river date the original construction to the first century AD. This clearly suggests the significance attached to this route from early in the Roman period. Air photographic evidence defines the course of Gartree road immediately to the east of the settlement and shows its junction with route 570 running northeast towards Ashton and Durobrivae.

{3} The project revealed a partially preserved Roman road surface, flanked by two ditches.

{4} Titchmarsh has an extensive, complex and relatively well-defined network of roads, similar in overall conception to those at Irchester and Ashton. Essentially they can be divided into two; first two main regional routes running northeast to southwest along the Nene (Margary 1973, route 570) and south east to north west across it (the Gartree Road 57a); second, the sinuous dendritic network of shorter roads or track ways that provided access through the core of the settlement and presumably to the neighbouring landscape. The Gartree road was a primary long distance route from Godmanchester to Leicester, which changed alignment from the eastern to western sides of the Nene somewhere close to Titchmarsh. Rescue excavations on three phases of Roman bridge carrying the Gartree road across the river (Mon 1896/1/7) date the original construction to the first century AD. This clearly suggests thesignificance attached to this route from early in the Roman period. Air photographic evidence defines the course of Gartree road immediately to the east of the settlement and shows its junction with route 570 running northeast towards Ashton and Durobrivae.

{5} Archaeological investigation undertaken during the construction of the Brigstock Bypass involved preliminary trenches which were excavated to attempt to locate the course of the road at c SP 9516 8470. No evidence of either a metalled surface or the roadside ditches was found.

{6} Identified by Margary as Route 57a.

{7}{8} Its route within Northamptonshire is summarised.

<1> Ordnance Survey, Ordnance Survey Linear File, RR57a (Notes). SNN112996.

<2> Taylor J., 2000, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Titchmarsh (Roman), Section 3.1 Communications (checked) (Digital archive). SNN100748.

<3> WOOD M., 2007, Archaeological Investigation on Land Off Longcroft Road, Little Stanion, Northamptonshire (LSLR07), p.1 (unchecked) (Report). SNN105850.

<4> Taylor J., 2000, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Titchmarsh (Roman), p.8-9 (part checked) (Report). SNN106660.

<5> Jackson, D., 1985, Archaeological Work on the Brigstock Bypass, 1985 (Report). SNN45726.

<6> Margary I.D., 1955, Roman Roads in Britain (Extract). SNN75175.

<7> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1975, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 117 (Series). SNN77379.

<8> Royal Commission on The Historical Monuments of England, 1979, An Inventory of The Historical Monuments in The County of Northampton, p. 186-7 (Series). SNN77380.

Record last edited

Feb 10 2025 8:04PM