Crayford - Watling Street anomaly
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Crayford - Watling Street anomaly
Does anyone know whats going on here? Apparently Watling Street takes a bit of a dog leg to go through what is now Crayford arriving at the high street at the northern end rather than the more obvious (and more straight) path via the A207 which arrives at the southern end of the high street. About the only thing I can come up with was that the old route (yellow line) goes up and over a hill which seems to be a Roman prediliction. (Although I'm not sure the legions would agree).
Also if this is the case, is there any way I can find out when the 'newer' road (green line) was built without heading down to Kent in person. Is there some kind of internet archive that deals with such things?
Also if this is the case, is there any way I can find out when the 'newer' road (green line) was built without heading down to Kent in person. Is there some kind of internet archive that deals with such things?
Re: Crayford - Watling Street anomaly
From other locations the top two are.Lonewolf wrote: ↑Thu Apr 25, 2024 14:02 Does anyone know whats going on here? Apparently Watling Street takes a bit of a dog leg to go through what is now Crayford arriving at the high street at the northern end rather than the more obvious (and more straight) path via the A207 which arrives at the southern end of the high street. About the only thing I can come up with was that the old route (yellow line) goes up and over a hill which seems to be a Roman prediliction. (Although I'm not sure the legions would agree).
Also if this is the case, is there any way I can find out when the 'newer' road (green line) was built without heading down to Kent in person. Is there some kind of internet archive that deals with such things?
1. There was a fort/fortlet/mansio on the top of the small hill.
2. The topography over time would not allow using the direct route. The river course was up against the slope, or the bridge crossing had to be moved?
In both cases the original course, as laid out (C1AD) was possible direct and then adjusted as justified. Between 43AD and the expansion from the Fosse way (under Agricola 70/80s) the construction of the roads would have been more limited than what we see today (which date from AD350+) and what was visible to the dark age/jutes/saxons who provided the names.
- Steven
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Re: Crayford - Watling Street anomaly
There's SABRE...
Or more specifically, SABRE Maps and the SABRE Wiki.
I can tell you with a 30 second look at Maps that the A2 went via the green route in 1922, so it has to be from before that date.
Steven
Motorway Historian
Founder Member, SABRE ex-Presidents' Corner
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Motorway Historian
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Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki today!
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Re: Crayford - Watling Street anomaly
Yes me too, I can tell you that it went by the green route in 1840 too. What I want to know is when it changed?
- Steven
- SABRE Maps Coordinator
- Posts: 19332
- Joined: Tue Feb 12, 2002 20:39
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Re: Crayford - Watling Street anomaly
We do have a number of pages on when changes happened, for example, Network changes - 19th century, although this specific stretch isn't (yet) mentioned.
However, Watling Street implies with the source of Margary's work that the Roman Watling Street always followed the green route.
Steven
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Add your roads knowledge to the SABRE Wiki today!
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From the SABRE Wiki: Network changes - 19th century :
list of the changes to the road network in Great Britain from 1800 - 1899.
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Re: Crayford - Watling Street anomaly
Aye, I've already had a look at those and I agree with you on Margary but OS doesn't. They are marking the northern route as Watling St. Also the name of that road is Old Road which implies that something newer was built at some point?Steven wrote: ↑Thu Apr 25, 2024 16:25
We do have a number of pages on when changes happened, for example, Network changes - 19th century, although this specific stretch isn't (yet) mentioned.
However, Watling Street implies with the source of Margary's work that the Roman Watling Street always followed the green route.
Last edited by Lonewolf on Thu Apr 25, 2024 16:50, edited 2 times in total.
From the SABRE Wiki: Network changes - 19th century :
list of the changes to the road network in Great Britain from 1800 - 1899.
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Re: Crayford - Watling Street anomaly
This article gives some pointers, though not the exact date of the new Dover Road:
https://arena.yourlondonlibrary.net/web ... ry-article
The new road avoided the steep hill and narrow High Street in Turnpike times. Perhaps this area was marshy in Roman times?
https://arena.yourlondonlibrary.net/web ... ry-article
The new road avoided the steep hill and narrow High Street in Turnpike times. Perhaps this area was marshy in Roman times?
Ian
Re: Crayford - Watling Street anomaly
Brilliant! Thats the titbit of information I was after. 1738. As to why the romans went over the hill, I'm going with the marsh. Its plausible enough.Ross Spur wrote: ↑Thu Apr 25, 2024 16:46 This article gives some pointers, though not the exact date of the new Dover Road:
https://arena.yourlondonlibrary.net/web ... ry-article
The new road avoided the steep hill and narrow High Street in Turnpike times. Perhaps this area was marshy in Roman times?
Re: Crayford - Watling Street anomaly
Hmm, interesting, when I did that section I actually thought straight ahead would be Watling St, for obvious reasons!Lonewolf wrote: ↑Thu Apr 25, 2024 17:11Brilliant! Thats the titbit of information I was after. 1738. As to why the romans went over the hill, I'm going with the marsh. Its plausible enough.Ross Spur wrote: ↑Thu Apr 25, 2024 16:46 This article gives some pointers, though not the exact date of the new Dover Road:
https://arena.yourlondonlibrary.net/web ... ry-article
The new road avoided the steep hill and narrow High Street in Turnpike times. Perhaps this area was marshy in Roman times?