Old English Chronicles - Unknown

Iter XVII.			Sites of the Stations.
Ab Anderida [Eboracum] usque, sic:—			From East bourne to York.
		Corrected Numbers.
(162) Sylva Anderida m.p.	...		East Bourne.
(152) Novio Mago		XXXX	Holwood Hill.
(5) Londinio	XV	XV	London.
(163) Ad Fines [722]		XXVIII	Brougham.
(36) Durolisponte [723]		XXX	Godmanchester.
(37) Durnomago	XXX	XX	Castor, on the left bank of the Nen.
(38) Corisennis	XXX	XXV	Ancaster.
(39) Lindo	XXX	XXI	Lincoln.
(164) In Medio	XV	XV
(165) Ad Abum	XV	XV	Winterton.
Unde transis in Maximam
(166) Ad Petuariam	VI	VI	Brough.
(43) Deinde Eboraco, ut supra (It. 5) m.p.	XLVI	XXX	York.

This Iter ran in the track of the British Ermyn Street, from Pevensey and East Bourne, which were perhaps the Anderida Portus and Anderida of the 15th Iter, along the ridge of hills to Holwood Hill (already mentioned as the capital of the Rhemi), and from thence to London, but its traces are now so obscure as to be almost forgotten. Some think that from London it proceeded along the British Street, by the Green Lanes, Cheshunt, and to the west of Broxbourne to Ware; while others suppose that this Roman road went much straighter, and nearly in the course of the present turnpike through Ware to Broughing, a post at the confluence of the Rib and the Quin, where was probably the station Ad Fines, the boundary between the countries of the Iceni, the Cassii, and the Trinobantes. From hence the Roman road is so perfect by Caxton quite to Lincoln, that we fix the station of Durnomagus at the great camp near Castor, and the three others at Godmanchester, Ancaster, and Lincoln. From Lincoln the Roman road proceeds directly to the banks of the Humber, having, at the distance assigned in the Iter, the Mansio in Medio, and the post at Winterton; from whence six miles carry us across the river to Brough, or Petuaria, a post often confounded with the Prætorium of the 6th Iter. As there is a Roman road still existing from Brough towards Weighton, and then over Barmby Moor to York, there can be little doubt in considering it as the course of this Iter. Should, however, the forty-six miles given in the Itinerary (which appears to have been an error arising from the mistake of the transcriber in confounding Petuaria and Prætorium) be considered as correct, the course of the Iter may be supposed to have run from Brough by Londesborough and Millington, to the great road from Flamborough, and then to have turned with it to York, making exactly the forty-six miles of the Itinerary.

Iter XVIII.			Sites of the Stations.
(43) Ab Eboraco per medium insulæ Clausentum usque, sic:—			From York through the middle of the island to Bittern.
		Corrected Numbers.
(42) Legiolio m.p.	XXI	XXI	Castleford.
(167) Ad Fines	XVIII	XXIII	Temple Brough, on the bank of the Don.
(168) .....	XVI	XVI	Tapton Hill near Chesterfield.
(169) .....	XVI	XII	Camp near Penkridge.
(170) Derventione [724]	XVI	XII	Little Chester.
(171) Ad Trivonam	XII	XII	Berry Farm, in Branston.
(15) Etoceto [725]	XII	XII	Wall.
(14) Manduessuedo	XVI	XVI	Manceter.
(13) Benonnis	XII	XII	High Cross.
(12) Tripontio	XI	XI	Near Dove Bridge.
(11) Isannavaria	XII	X	Burnt Walls.
(172) Brinavis	XII	XII	Black Ground, near Chipping Norton.
(173) Ælia Castra	XVI	XVI	Alcester, near Bicester.
(174) Dorocina	XV	XVI	Dorchester.
(175) Tamesi	VI	VI	On the Thames.
Vindomi}	XV	XX	Silchester.
(122) Calleva}	XV	XX	Silchester.
(141) Clausento	XXXXVI	XXXXV	Bittern, near Southampton.

This Iter proceeds from York in the same direction as the fourth to Castleford, where, bearing to the right to join the Ryknield Street, it continues with it through the several stations of Temple Brough on the Don, Chesterfield, Penkridge, Little Chester, and Branston, to Wall. Here diverging to the left with the Watling Street, it passed through Manceter, High Cross, and Dove Bridge, to Burnt Walls. It there quitted the known road, and bore across the country, by an unknown route, to Alcester, on the Akeman street; but the considerable remains found at Black Ground, near Chippington Norton, would lead us to place the station of Brinavis there, if the Roman road did not make any material deviation between Burnt Walls and Alcester.

From Alcester the road runs plainly over Ottmoor, and indeed almost all the way to Dorchester. But from thence as we can discover no traces of a road, and as our next post appears to have been only six miles distant and on the Thames, if any reliance can be placed on the number, it may be the point where the Roman road from Wantage apparently passes that river opposite Mongewell. The next distance of fifteen miles, being insufficient to lead us by any road to Vindomis, if it were placed either at Silchester or near St. Mary Bourne, it is more than probable that there is some error in the name of the station; and as the following number of forty-six miles agrees with the distance in the 15th Iter of the road from Silchester passing near Egbury to Bittern, we cannot help supposing that the name of Vindomis has been inserted by mistake for that of Calleva.

FOOTNOTES:

[685] On this subject it may not be improper to observe, that the name of Castor, Cester, or Chester, generally points out a Roman station; and Sarn, Street, Stane and Stone, (Strat, and Stan, when compounded) as generally show the course of a British or Roman way.