Location :
North Yorkshire
Scarborough, Ryedale
Egton, Barugh (Great and Little), Amotherby, Normanby, Wrelton, Middleton, Grosmont, Habton, Stape, Newholm-cum-Dunsley, Hutton Mulgrave, Cropton
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More information : RR 81b - Wade's Causeway. Malton (Amotherby) to Whitby (Aislaby)
The continuation of the north-eastern road from York (RR 81a) beyond Malton seems to have run almost due north from Amotherby. A straight road leads out of the village for half a mile, but then winds considerably, and it is only from Habton Grange that the present road again follows the old line approximately, through Great Barugh to the prominent low isolated ridge of Riseborough. It is probable that a turn to the north-east was made here and a line of footpaths may mark it to Wrelton, where there appears to be traces of a raised ridge in a long narrow field. A lane continues the same line to Cawthorn, passing through the westernmost of the four Roman camps (SE 79 SE 63, 64,65,67). A precipitous escarpment had to be negotiated at this point, and beyond this the road has been traced upon a north-easterly alignment to the hamlet of Stape on the edge of Pickering Moor. The track over the moor marks it but near Key Beck House the Roman road lies upon an independent parallel course through the fields a little below the house, marked by a wall and, beyond the enclosures, by an unploughed strip through Forestry Commission planting with traces of an agger (see SE 89 NW 73 ). After crossing Butmoor Beck (sic), the excavated road can be seen on Wheeldale Moor (see SE 89 NW 72)for three quarters of a mile. The course then follows the eastern edge of Wheeldale Moor and after crossing the Wheeldale Gill, it is continued as a terraced lane past Hollin House and Julian Park, where a minor road and in part a green lane mark it. Near Low Burrow it passed through the small Roman camp (see NZ 80 SW 3) and then continued as a ridgeway to the end of the ridge above Grosmont. The road must have crossed the Esk at Grosmont but its course beyond is uncertain. Traces of stone found near Aislaby (c) are now considered doubtful. (1) Detailed survey of Wade's Causeway.(2)
See Linear Archive File for further details (3)
Oblique and vertical air photographs contained in the NMR air photograph library have been examined for evidence of the Roman road in the immediate vicinity of the Camps. No conclusive proof of its course has been revealed. This air photograph evaluation (4-5) was undertaken as part of a wider research project investigating Cawthorn Camps from 1998-2002. In addition to the air photographic work, this research has included geophysical survey, topographic survey of Fort A and Annexe B, and two seasons of excavation. (6-7) One of the trenches opened in 1999 was located in the area between Camp C and Fort A to investigate the possible existence of a road, or indeed other features, in this area. No archaeological features were discovered. (8) |