HER 5904 DESCRIPTION:-

Map sheets: SO60SW, SO60NW, SO60NE

Route: SO 639 036 - SO 645 062 - SO 649-76 - SO 653 087 - SO 6754 1600 - SO 6651 1825

Thought to have been built to connect iron mines at Lydney and in the Forest with the smelting furnaces at Ariconium (near Weston under Penyard, Herefordshire). A short section of the road has been exposed at SO 653 087 (SMR 449) near the point where it crossed the Buckpool Brook near Blakeney. Its line can be followed there through Cockshutt Wood and Oldcraft to the outskirts of Lydney. Kerbing and paving stones are visible in places. {Source Work 79.}

Metalliferous nodules have been found along the Dean Road. {Source Work 7397.}

The date of construction of the road was long assigned to the Roman period on the basis that a distinctive paving and kerbing seen by antiquarians at various locations indicated an early construction period. {Source Work 4476.}

This dating was accepted by Margery, who favoured a slightly different road course. {Source Work 154.}

The historiography of the Dean Road was summarised by Standing who also asserted that the paved road probably grew out of a series of local trackways which were medieval or later. {Source Work 2166.}

1936 - As plotted by Trotter in 1936, the route of the Dean Road runs northwards to Mitcheldean via Lower Soudley and Littledean, corresponding to the modern road north of Lower Soudley. {Source Work 236.}

The route of the Dean Road, shown on the SMR is that proposed by Trotter (1936), though its course as shown on SO60NW is rather straight, though a lack of landmarks make it difficult to plot Trotter's proposed route. {Source Work 236.}

1968 - The Roman dating was doubted as early as 1968. The paper record refers to an article by N. Bridgewater, 1968, Woolhope Naturalists' Field Club. This article cannot now be traced. {Pers. comm. A. Morris 11/09/2003.}

1985 - During February and March 1985, members of the Forest of Dean Local History Society undertook the excavation of a small section of the road, at SO 6566 1003, between Blackpool Bridge and Soudey. The section chosen had kerbing and revetting intact and three metres of the surface were uncovered. This had been formed of large blocks of both brownstones and quartz conglomerate, up to 25kg in wight. The kerbing was mainly constructed of fine-grained local brownstones, some having evidence of dressing. A 6m section was cut through the road which showed that the surface had been built over a layer of charcoal mixed with humus. There was no earlier road surface beaneath the charcoal layer. {Source Work 4450.}

1988 - The charcoal deposit recovered from beneath the road was subsequently radiocarbon dated to the post-medieval period. {Source Work 4476.}

Standing considers that the construction of a long distance kerbed, paved road is of relatively recent date. He wondered if the reports of the paved and kerbed road are a single entity, forming a route between Lydney and Micheldean, as he notes that others have frequently found other traces of paving in Dean (Bellows 1882). Some stretches uncovered have shown little wear, e.g. portion between Soudley and Dead Man`s Cross. {Source Work 4476.}

Standing indicates that the Dean Road is probably not Roman, based on its construction, C14 dating, documentary evidence and the meandering course, which respects post Roman features, such as Abenhall Church (SO 671 174) - assuming Trotter's route is correct. {Source Work 4476.}

The excavation archive was deposited at Dean Heritage Museum under accession number 1989.71.1=6.

1989 - A watching brief was undertaken by Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service on 17/04/1989 at SO 6689 1317, in connection with the construction of a sewage pipeline. The date of the modern road deposits observed were unknown. No evidence for earlier construction was observed. The large slabs and kerbstones thought to typify the Dean Road were not present, and it is impossible to say whether these once existed at this location. {Source Work 2571.}

1994 - A 1994 paper by local historian John Widdop ("Dating the Dean Road Properly") asserts that the road is definitely Roman based on various pieces of evidence such as the writings of Roman surveyors that Augustus (27BC -14AD) had issued decrees fixing the width of a bye-road at 8ft, and drawing on Margary. It is suggested that the radiocarbon dating of the charcoal sample taken in 1987 is by no means accurate. {Source Work 915.}

2014 An archaeological evaluation was undertaken by Cotswold Archaeology in April and May 2014 at Highfield Lane, Lydney. Twenty-eight trenches were excavated. Ironworking slag and fired clay recovered from pits, postholes and ditches in one trench was not closely dateable but is likely to pre-date 1600 AD. This material did not derive from primary (furnace) deposits, however the volume of slag recovered suggests iron smelting taking place on site. Evidence for medieval and/or post-medieval ridge and furrow cultivation was identified. Three pits of probable post-medieval/modern date were recorded along with three ditches which align with extant and historic boundaries, which are also believed to date to this period. A further three pits which contained significant volumes of oak charcoal may either be contemporary with the post-medieval/modern pits or could be associated with earlier metal working on site. An undated ditch terminus and two undated gullies are indicative of agricultural activity on the site of unknown date. No evidence was found for the the course of the Dean Road which has previously been suggested may pass through part of the site. {Source Work 12602.}

2016 - A site visit was undertaken by J Hoyle of Gloucestershire County Council Archaeology Service on 9th October 2016 to an evaluation excavation being undertaken by Dean Archaeology Group. Ten test pits were excavated. No dating evidence was retrieved {Source Work 14482.}

2019 - This monument was previously recorded within the Historic England National Record of the Historic Environment. Additional information from that record, formerly held within the AMIE database, is quoted below:

“`Roman Road - Lydney - Mitcheldean, known length 10.75 miles. Probably C1st or early C2nd AD'. (1)

This portion of the Roman road was uncovered recently under my supervision. A longer stretch, to the immediate SW was previously exposed to view; it was in a rather better condition than the present exposed stretch, and consisted of paving stones - bounded by lines of well-cut kerb stones. The latter stretch was recovered with earth at the same time as the former was uncovered. (2)

The exposed stretch of roadway near Blackpool Bridge has been examined by Mr Simms of the Ministry of Works (Ancient Monuments) who pronouced it to be a fine example of Roman work, probably dateable to the C1st or early C2nd AD. He expressed the view that the road was probably used for conveying Iron Ore from the Forest of Dean to Lydney. (3)

SO 65250870 - SO 65270871: A straight stretch of exposed roadway, 16.5 meters long and 2.3 metres wide, consisting of cobble-stone paving, bounded by lines of well defined kerb stones. Hewn rectangular slabs form the kerbing: the average dimensions of these are 0.7m long by 0.1m wide by 0.2m deep. The Paving consists of unhewn cobble stones, of about 0.3m average diameter, with smaller stones forming the packing on the surface. There appears to be no foundation packing beneath the cobbles which are about 0.15m dep. The surface of the Paving is uneven, and no traces of wheel-ruts are visible.

On the SE side of the road the junction of another road is indicated by traces of Paving and a short line of the NW side kerbing. This is on a slightly higher level than the main road, and the kerbing of the latter continues uninterruped across the junction. This suggests that the south east road was a later construction. The kerbing of the south east road also appears to rise from the main road, and it may have led to a bridge over the stream - possibly as a loop to the main road. Though its course could not be determined there is a suggestion, in the portion exposed, of a curve to the North. The present bridge bears no trace of antiquity. (4)

The `Dean Road' from Ariconium through Mitcheldean, Little Dean, Soudley, Blackpool Bridge and Oldcroft to Lydney, has been widely accepted as Roman, 2nd `Roman Road' with traces of Roman Paving were published along its route in 1924 (g).

It remains at Blackpool Bridge, and it fits well with the general Roman layout in the area.

But in other parts of the Forest similar paving has also been found, particularly on the roads Mitcheldean-Drybrook-Ruardean and Littledean - Cinderford-Cannop-Coleford, both of which continue to Monmouth. The fact of the paving being found is well authenticated and kerbstones are mentioned though detailed descriptions are scarce.

Witts claimed all the pavings as evidence of Roman Roads. Nicholls, the main authority on the Forest is non-committal, and merely notes the possibility that they were Roman. Codrington gives the warning that they were found just where repairs to roads would be expected and that they may be C18th.

It is on record (Nicholls) that the Commissioners of the Royal Forest spent over #11,000 on road repairs in the Forest between about 1760 and 1788, particularly on the two roads mentioned above, which were public highways.

Modern authorities are shy of commenting on the `Roman' pavings. Margary ignores them and describes only the Dean Road, and Trotter (whom Margary followed) is concerned exclusively with the Dean Road.

In view of the unsatisfactory nature of the evidence, the fact that heavy repairs were undertaken in the C18th and probably earlier (and that local stone was available for these, while heavy traffic carrying coal , iron and timber had to be catered for) and the lack of any evidence of planning the course, except on the Dean Road where alignments can be distinguished, it woud probably be best not to consider any of the roads, other than the Dean Road, as Roman, and even there the actual paving must be suspect. (5)

The course of this road was investigated on the ground in 1958 and the following AMs base annostations on its route: SO 6405-7; 6506, 6508, 6510, 6612-4, 6616, 6714-4. [There may have been others but they are not to hand]. The course included lengths of modern metalled road, cart-tracks and foot-paths. At three places stretches of paving were recorded but elsewhere no evidence of paving of a road of any antiquity were found. (6)

A 1:1000 survey of the course of the Dean Road from SO 65681006 to 65630942 and from SO 65310880 to 65200866 was carried out in August 1984.

The first stretch takes the road over a wooded ridge just south of Upper Soudley, the second stretch lies to either side of the Blackpool Bridge. The route between these sections is occupied by the modern Ruspidge to Blakeney road.

Over the distance examined none of the characteristics of a Roman road were found.

(1) There are no topographical hinderances to prevent a direct alignment in true Roman fashion between Blackpool Bridge and Upper Soudley, a distance of some 2000.0m , but the paved road follows a twisting, winding course.

(2) The paved road maintains a regular width of 2.2m. No Roman road is this narrow except perhaps in the wild parts of Wales.

(3) The construction, of cobblestones, small boulders and stones upon a soil base, between long, narrow, upstanding kerbstones is completely un-Romanlike.

The conclusion to be reached must be that the paved stretch of the road represent sections improved in the late C18th, when wheeled traffic took over from packhorse traffic.

Basically, the Dean Road is a greenway, probably of Medieval date. Except on the northern slopes above Upper Soudley where the greenway is 15.0m across and contained between ditches, 2.5m wide and up to 0.4m deep, it is 30.0m in overall width and is bounded by twin earthen banks on both sides. These are 1.5 to 2.0m in width and average 0.35m in height except for the western most bank which is 4.0m wide and 0.8m high on the inside, 0.4m on the outside. They lie 1.0 to 2.0m apart on both sides.

The greenway is occupied, throughout the northern stretch surveyed, by a number of packhorse hollow ways which spread and merge, fade out and reappear continously. They average 3.0 to 4.0m in width and are up to 0.4m in depth. Upon the steeper part of the south-facing slopes of the ridge, the paved road was laid within the eastern most hollow way. At the foot, it persues a fairly direct but slightly winding course to the east of the follow ways to the point where it disappears beneath the modern road which here moves in onto the course as far as Blackpool Bridge.

Upon the north-facing slopes of the ridge, the paved road has been cut about and reduced in places to an outstanding ridge between drainage channels caused by surface water erosion, but at the foot it reappears as a humus covered track between upstanding kerbs with stone paving visible here and there. A section was recently uncovered by excavation at SO 65681006, but is now once more covered over.

To the east of the greenway on the south-facing slopes and below, a forest boundary bank exists, moving in southwards to within 10.0m of the greenway boundary banks, running parallel for a short distance then moving away to the south-east. By its appearance alone, the bank predates the greenway. It is 3.5m wide and 0.35m high. A ditch on the west is 2.5m wide and 0.2m deep. It fades out as the greenway is reached, further evidence perhaps that the greenway is later.

With reference to the Blackpool Bridge section, the Dean Road reappears from beneath the modern road, 80.0m, north of the bridge from the west side of the road. A hollow way 6.0m wide and 1.0m deep contains along its floor, scattered broken-up remains of the paved road as far aas a fording place, 18.0m west and upstream of the bridge. A mass of loose stone in the bed of the stream indicates the site of the ford and there is packed stone in the stream on the south side. For the first 25.0m south of the stream, there is no trace of paved road, either due to the paving having been washed away in flood or, more likely because the stone has been taken for repairs to the bridge. The paved road reappears and is largely in excellent condition for some 50.0m. (Authority 4 description of the paving correct). Hence, as far as the railway bridge at SO 65200866, only one section of kerbing, on the west side of the road, remains exposed in the turf of the verge of the modern road.

No evidence could be found for dating the bridge to Roman time. It seems likely that the fording point was superceded by a bridge downstream of it, when the branch paved road was added, to link up with the bridge. The bridge would therefore be of a later date than the paving of the Dean Road ie. late C18th early C19th century. Apart from the foundations, the bridge is largely a C19th/C20th rebuilding.

About 100.0m south of the railway bridge, at SO 65120845, a woodland path following the paved road from the south, has been cut down through the paving to reach a modern forestry drive and has exposed the Dean Road in section. The paving of stones is seen to be lying upon the natural soil and on the west side of the road against the kerbing is a mass of coal waste extending over some 6.0m. As the paved road at this point is rising up a fairly steep slope, the coal waste may represent spillage from ascending traffic over a long period of time or maybe be part of roadside dump. (See ground photographs). (7)” {Source Work 4249.}