Old English Chronicles

by Unknown

The fourth Iter left Lincoln with the Eastern Ermyn Street, which ran to the Humber; and, after continuing on it about five miles, turned suddenly to the left, pursuing its course in a straight line to the Trent, which it passed immediately opposite to the station of Littleborough. The Roman road may be traced from hence to Austerfield and Doncaster, where it fell in with the Western Ermyn Street, and is visible all the way by Castleford, Aberford, and Tadcaster, to York. In this Iter, the station of Tadcaster is passed unnoticed, as in the former the station of Brig Casterton, near Stamford.

From York the Iter is continued along the left bank of the Ouse, till it crossed the river to Aldborough. From hence rejoining the Western Ermyn Street, it passed the Eure, and ran straight through Catterick to the Tees, which it crossed at Piercebridge. It continued by the Royal Oak, St. Andrew Aukland, and the Bishop's Park, to Binchester, where, after fording the Were, it went with the North Watling Street to Lanchester; and, without noticing either Ebchester or Corbridge, over the Tyne to Halton Chester on the Wall. Here separating from the North Watling Street, it ran with the Ermyn Street, now known in Northumberland by the name of the Devil's Causeway, to the bank of the Coquet and the Tweed, and entering Scotland on the East, was continued to the wall of Antonine.

Iter V.			Sites of the Stations.
(52) A limite Præturiam usque, sic:—			To Flamborough Head.
		Corrected Numbers.
(53) Curia[698]
(54) Ad fines			Chew Green.
(55) Bremenio		VII	Riechester.
(56) Corstoplio	XX	XXV	Corbridge.
(57) Vindomora	VIIII	VIIII	Corbridge.
(47) Vindovio[699]	XVIIII	XVIIII	Binchester.
(45) Cattaractoni	XXII	XXII	Catterick.
(43) Eboraco	XL	XL	York.
(58) Derventione	VII	VII	On the Derwent, near Stamford Bridge.
(59) Delgovicia [700]	XIII		* * * * * * * * *
(60) Præturio[701]	XXV	XXXVIII	Near Flamborough Head.

In regard to the part of the country traversed by this Iter, there appears to have been so little connection between the work of our author and the map which accompanies it, that we can rely little on the latter either to assist or correct us. This Iter is made to begin from Curia, a town probably on the confines of some petty kingdom, and to pass to the first certain post of Bremenium, or Riechester. Now, on referring to the map, Curia, the principal town of the Gadeni, so far from lying on the road which leads to Bremenium, the capital of the Ottadini, is considerably to the westward of its course. From this disagreement, commentators have suspected a mistake of the transcriber, and imagine that Curia is intended for Corium. It is certain, at least, that this Iter, running on the east side of the island, on the track of the Northern Watling Street, enters Northumberland at Chew Green, goes from thence to Riechester (leaving unnoticed the station at Risingham), and runs with it to Corbridge, Ebchester, Binchester, Catterick, and York.

From York to Flamborough Head, a Roman road may still be traced; and as the distance agrees with the Itinerary, and there must have been a Roman post on or near that headland, we should think it more probable that this was the site of Præturium,[D] although we have not yet discovered the remains of any post on the Derwent, or the intermediate station of Delgovicia. So many Roman roads from different quarters point towards Stamford bridge, that there is no doubt the station of Derventio was near it.

Iter VI.			Sites of the Stations.
(43) Ab Eboraco Devam usque, sic:—			From York to Chester.
		Corrected Numbers.
(61) Calcaria m.p.	VIIII	VIIII	Tadcaster.
(62) Camboduno	XXII	XXXII	Slack.
(63) Mancunio[702]	XVIII	XXIII	Manchester.
(64) Finibus Maximæ et Flaviæ	XVIII	VI	Stretford on Mersey.
(65) Condate[702A]	XVIII	XXIII	Kinderton.
(20) Deva	XVIII	XVIII	Chester.

Such appears to be the incorrectness of the numerals attached to this Iter, as well as to the corresponding Iter of Antonine, that, although four of the six stations are well known, and a fifth can scarcely be mistaken, yet, we can in no other way obviate the difficulty than by supposing a station omitted, or by altering the numerals, none of which, except the first, agree with the distances between the vestiges of the different stations and their supposed sites; for example, in the first part between York and Manchester, where the Itinerary gives only 49 miles, the nearest road through Heathersfield amounts to 65.

As the only great and undoubted Roman station between Tadcaster and Manchester is at Slack (for the camps at Kirklees, and Castleshaw, are only temporary posts), it will perhaps be justifiable to fix this point as the site of Cambodunum; to suppose ten miles omitted in this stage; and in the next to conjecture that, by a common error in copying the Roman numerals, XVIII. has been substituted for XXIII. the exact distance from Slack to Manchester.

As the Mersey was undoubtedly the boundary on the West between the Roman provinces of Maxima and Flavia, and as the Roman road still existing crossed it at Stretford, we fix the next point there, and change the number XVII. to VI. The two next stations of Condate and Deva, the numerals (with a slight alteration) permit us to fix at Kinderton and Chester. It is worthy of remark, that with these alterations the sum total of the numerals remains nearly the same.

Iter VII.			Sites of the Stations.
(66) A Portu Sistuntiorum Eboracum usque, sic:—			From Freckleton to York.
		Corrected Numbers.
(67) Rerigonio	XXIII	XIII	Ribchester.
(68) Ad Alpes Peninos	VIII	XXIII	Burrens in Broughton.
(69) Alicana	X	X	Ilkley.
(44) Isurio[703]	XVIII	XVIII	Aldborough.
(43) Eboraco	XVI	XVII	York.