Monument record 1700/1/4 - Roman Road - Tilston to Grafton (Chester to Wroxeter Route 6a)

<1> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1970-Present, Britannia, 11/364-5 E Waddelove in FO Grew 1980 (Journal/Periodical). SCH445.

The possible course of the Roman road from Whitchurch to Tilstone (Margary 6a) traced by field survey. From SJ4542 5164 to SJ 4542 5164 marked by a depression or hollow way. From SJ 4542 5164 through SJ 4491 5190, to SJ 4479 5195 by field boundaries.

<2> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1970-Present, Britannia, 12/333 AC & E Waddlelove in FO Grew 1981 (Journal/Periodical). SCH445.

The suggested course of the road from Whitchurch to Chester (Margary 6a West) was supported by the discovery of an adjacent road surface at least 4m wide and paved with sandstone during trial trenching

<3> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1970-Present, Britannia, 14/299 AC & E Waddelove in SS Frere 1983 (Journal/Periodical). SCH445.

Evidence of occupation from the mid second to late 4th century. Drainage ditches in the vicinity yielded signs of settlement extending over 4ha.

<4> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1970-Present, Britannia, 15/255-257 Waddelove A C & E 1984 (Journal/Periodical). SCH445.

Small scale excavations undertaken between 1980 and 1983 revealed remains of the road and a roadside settlement. Roman Settlement located between Grafton and Tilston, along Watling Street (see 1768/0/1). The main focus of occupation lay on the southern side of the road, with ribbon development along road to the west and may have inluded a fort. Early phase of the road may be an intervallum road associated with the fort. At some time the forts rampart was slighted and Watling Street built over the slighted remains

<5> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1970-Present, Britannia, 1/236 Petch D F 1987 (Journal/Periodical). SCH445.

Fieldwork and excavation, Watling Street. Building located and excavated 1981

<6> Higham N J, 2001, Grafton New Hall: Landscape History and Archaeology - and - Preliminary Report on Supplementary Archaeological Investigations (Client Report). SCH4474.

Trial trenching in 2001 identified traces of the roman road and roadside ditch but were severely eroded by ploughing. The road itself is hardly any longer in existence as an archaeological feature. The bulk of the road has been ploughed up and now lies in plough soil

<7> Historic England & Archaeological Research Services, 2017, Cheshire National Mapping Programme and Lidar Mapping Project: Sampling the Peak Fringe, Cheshire Plain and Mersey Valley, 160842 & 1608042 (Digital Archive). SCH8172.

A long linear bank of uncertain date is visible as an earthwork centred at approximately SJ 4462 5202 on lidar imagery (8) and appears to remain extant on the latest 2010 vertical aerial photography. (9)

The feature is visible in places as a complete earthwork linear bank and in others as a one-sided scarp but is not continuous throughout its length. It runs approximately south-east to north-west for around 1237m from SJ 4517 5175 to SJ 4418 5244, curving slightly to the north.

The bank appears to run parallel to a number of field boundaries and the parish boundary between Grafton and Stretton for parts of its length, and delineates the edges of some blocks of ridge and furrow whilst being overlain by ploughing in other areas. It is interrupted by a later field boundary bank and a later extractive pit close to its northernmost terminus. It may therefore be a substantial boundary bank or routeway, potentially even originating as the projected Roman road between Farndon and Tilston ( A hollow way (UID 1608042) aligned with the south-eastern end of the bank may add credence to it being a routeway, as would the proposed Roman settlement to the immediate south.

The Hollowway is visible as a branching earthwork ditch centred at approximately SJ 4530 5172 on lidar imagery and remains extant on the latest 2010 vertical aerial photography. The hollow way runs approximately south-east to north-west for around 242m, branching into two in its easternmost half and delineating edges of blocks of ridge and furrow ploughing . It aligns with a long linear bank (UID 1608040) which begins close to the north-western terminus of the hollow way and may be a road. It is however also possible that the hollow way is merely an enhanced natural depression (8-9).

<8> Environment Agency, 2003-2020, Environment Agency LiDAR Surveys, LIDAR SJ4452 Environment Agency FIRST RETURN 06-DEC-2008 (Digital Archive). SCH7819.

<9> Next Perspectives, 2010, Aerial Photography for Great Britain, Next Perspectives APGB Imagery (2010), SJ4452, 11/10/2010 (Aerial Photograph). SCH8173.