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Summary

The A35 between Charmouth and Axminster is thought to broadly follow the line of a Roman road. Although it has been suggested that the line of the road between Dorchester and Exeter ran to the north of Bridport and Charmouth this does not preclude there also being a road via Charmouth. Along the Devon section, metalling was observed at Burrowshot Cross during excavations in 1990, where the line of the Roman road is thought to survive in a hollow way to the north of the present road. Metalling has also been observed to the south of Woodbury Lane suggesting that the Roman road may have run to the south of the present road towards Woodbury Fort.

Location

Protected Status: none recorded

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SY39NW/10

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• ROAD (Constructed, Roman - 43 AD (Between) to 409 AD (Between))

Full description

Ordnance Survey, 1904 - 1906, Second Edition Ordnance Survey 25 inch Map (Cartographic). SDV325644.

Road marked as a Roman Road. The section from Charmouth to just north of Penn lies within Dorset, the section between Penn and Greenway Head marks the county boundary, the final section is within Devon.

Margary, I. D., 1967, Roman Roads in Britain, 114 (Monograph). SDV24025.

Its appears that the Roman road from Dorchester divided at Charmouth, one route continuing along the coast, the other turning north via Penn and Burrowshot Cross to Axminster. The remains of the Roman road survive as a hollow way and the earthwork of an agger across fields to the right of the main road, as the latter descends from Burrowshot Cross. The Roman road continues in a straight line along a lane [the former western end of Cookbury Lane] and straight across to Woodbury Lane.

Fox, H. S. A., 1970, The Boundary of Uplyme, 42, Fig. 1 (Article in Serial). SDV120527.

The A373 [now A35] is referred to as the red way in a Saxon charter of AD938 and in a survey of the Manor of Uplyme dated 1516. The name is perpetuated in Red Cross. The later document also refers to 'Borosheet', now Burrowshot Cross.

Weddell, P. J., 1990, Axminster Bypass 1990 Trial Excavations, Kings Farm Tipping Site, Woodbury Lane (Report - Excavation). SDV118220.

Excavation in 1990 confirmed the existence of the Roman road on a line circa 22 metres south of Woodbury Lane.

Frere, S. S., 1991, Roman Britain in 1990, 281 (Article in Serial). SDV118217.

Metalling of the Dorchester to Exeter Roman road was observed in 1990 at Burrowshot Cross.

Simpson, S. J., 1993, Axminster bypass 1990 trial excavations at Cooks Lane to Burrowshot Cross (Report - Excavation). SDV324469.

Weddell, P. J. + Reed, S. J. + Simpson, S. J., 1993, Excavation of the Exeter-Dorchester Roman Road at the River Yarty and the Roman Fort Ditch and Settlement Site at Woodbury, Near Axminster., 80-81, Figs 19-20, 23-24, 28-29 (Article in Serial). SDV99887.

At Axminster, Roman road from Exeter to Dorchester runs westwards from Woodbury Farm, following a course just south of the existing lane, inside Woodbury Great Close. Beyond this, across Wyke Lane, its course was formerly followed by another road called Fairy Lane, which has since disappeared. East of the fort at Woodbury the course of the road is not so direct, taking the form of a series of short straight alignments determined by local topography.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, 17, Part 1; 119-120, Part 2: Gazetteer, Site No. 433 (Report - Survey). SDV101648.

The A35 is on the line of the Dorchester to Exeter Roman road. Metalling of the Roman road was seen during excavations at Burrowshot Cross in 1990. The road (SY 3156 9645) is referred to in a Saxon charter dated 938, and a later survey of the manor of Uplyme in 1516. Both documents refer to it as the Red Way (Red Cross on this road perpetuates the name.) The latter document also refers to ‘Borosheet’ from which Burrowshot (Cross) derives. The road lies to north of survey area.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, Site No. 433 (Archive - Survey). SDV358490.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003, East Devon Heathlands Archaeological Survey, Site No. 433 (Report - Survey). SDV359019.

Exeter Archaeology, 2003-2004, East Devon Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty Archaeological Survey, No. 2929 (Archive - Survey). SDV351568.

Metalling seen during excavation at Burrowshot Cross.

Toller, H., 2014, The Roman Road from Dorchester to Exeter (Article in Serial). SDV358042.

LiDAR and satellite imagery has provided evidence for a new 24km length of the Roman road between Yondover and Axminster, suggesting that the road ran to the north of Bridport. See article for details.

Ordnance Survey, 2016, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV359352.

A35 marked.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds: none recorded

Associated Events: none recorded

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