Monument record 547/1/0 - North Cheshire Ridge Roman Road

North Cheshire Ridge Roman Road. This road has been traced for a length of over 12km. The alignment is dictated by the crest-line of the escarpment of New Red Sandstone overlooking the Mersey valley to the north. In detail it was laid out in adjoining straight lengths to keep precisely to the crest of the ridge. Line traced from Newhouse Farm, Hatton (SJ 601822), roughly along the line of the B5356 road east-north-eastwards as far as its abrupt bend at SJ 645844, then along the line of the track past Bradley Hall (SJ 658846) to Redbank Bridge on the A50 (SJ 670849). The course then turns sharply to an east-south-east direction and closely follows the A50 to Hulme Barns Farm (SJ 722827). Longest straight length was 2 kms across Sworton Heath and the shortest was 130 m. Only considerable angle of 40 degrees at Red Bank Bridge. Unusually for Roman roads in Cheshire there were drainage ditches along each side of the road structure, some 2m wide and 0.6m deep. The agger apparently had a rough curb on each side to retain the structure. There is good evidence that it continued as a route in medieval times (4) & (5).

<1> Wilson D., 1970, Roman Britain in 1969, p.282 (Jermy KE) (Article in Journal). SCH6769.

<2> Wilson D, Wright RP & Hassall MWC, 1971, Roman Britain in 1970, p.314 (Jermy KE) (Article in Journal). SCH9239.

<2> Wilson, D., 1972, Roman Britain in 1971, p.314 (Jermy KE) (Article in Journal). SCH7103.

<3> Wilson D, 1973, Roman Britain in 1972, p.284 (Jermy KE) (Article in Journal). SCH8353.

<4> Hughes EM, 1984, A Roman Road Between Hatton and High Legh, Cheshire (Article in Journal). SCH8351.

<5> Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies, 1970-Present, Britannia, Vol. 21 p.283-285 (Jermy KE) (Journal/Periodical). SCH445.