More information : SE 384 263 (LO). A rapid examination of air photographs (1a) reveals a road defined by two parallel ditches visible as cropmarks. Quarry
pits, also showing as cropmarks, line each side of the road. The
road appears to underlie a cropmark settlement of probable Prehistoric/Roman date (see NMR SE 32 NE 22). If this is so, this implies the road is Roman or earlier in date. This relationship is not certain. (1)
A prehistoric/ Roman road and associated quarry ditches are visible as cropmarks on air photographs running from SE 3825 2638 to SE 3894 2621. The road runs north-east-east south-west-west through the cropmark complex at Methley (SE 32 NE 22/ UID 921568). The relationship with the other cropmarks, which are Iron Age/ Roman in date, is not clear. One of the quarries, at SE 3861 2629, is sited where the road crosses one of the Iron Age/ Roman fields and appears to respect both the ditches of the field and the road.
Where an Iron Age/ Roman trackway crosses the road at SE 3843 2634, the ditches of the road abutt the ditches of the trackway. This suggests that the trackway may post-date the road. Alternatively this could form a junction. It can not be ruled out that the road is Roman in date and if the course is projected further to the south-east on the same alignment the road will run approximately 270m to the south of the Roman fort at Castleford (SE 42 NW 4/ UID 54328), 4.2km away.
(2-3) |