Introduction
The A10, a major road spanning from London Bridge to King‘s Lynn, may seem like just another asphalt thoroughfare crisscrossing modern England. But beneath the pavement lies a path of far greater antiquity and historical significance. Much of the A10, particularly from London to Royston, follows the course of Ermine Street, one of Roman Britain‘s most important highways.
Ermine Street was part of a 3000-km network of paved roads built by the Romans during their nearly four-century occupation of Britain from 43 AD to 410 AD. These remarkable routes formed the backbone of the Roman province, enabling the efficient movement of troops, supplies, communications, and trade that were vital to imperial power. Today, vestiges of many of these roads, like Ermine Street, are still in use, underlying modern motorways and quietly bearing witness to two millennia of British history.
The Conquest of Britannia
To understand the origins of Ermine Street and roads like it, we must first delve into the story of the Roman conquest of Britain. Though Julius Caesar had made exploratory incursions to the island in 55 and 54 BC, Britain was not formally invaded and annexed as a province until 43 AD under the Emperor Claudius.
With a force of some 40,000 professional soldiers, the Romans quickly overwhelmed the resistance of the native Celtic tribes and established a provincial capital at Camulodunum (Colchester). In the ensuing decades, the legions steadily expanded their control over the island, founding strategic settlements like Londinium (London) and Eboracum (York) and subjugating tribal kingdoms.
All Roads Lead to Rome
Essential to this conquest and consolidation of power was the construction of an extensive road system. The Romans were renowned for their civil engineering prowess, and road-building was a top priority in any new province. As the famous proverb goes, "all roads lead to Rome", and this was certainly the case in Britain, where the highways enabled speedy troop deployments, efficient government administration, and lucrative trade that fueled the imperial economy.
The roads were marvels of engineering, using sophisticated surveying, drainage, and construction techniques to create level, durable surfaces. A typical Roman road began with a wide, shallow trench that was filled with layers of rubble, gravel, sand, and fine paving stones. The road‘s camber and drainage ditches were designed to keep the surface free of standing water, while the paving stones interlocked tightly to bear the weight of heavy traffic.
The result was a network of roads that endured for centuries, many of which continued to be used long after the Romans withdrew from Britain in the early 5th century. Indeed, until the advent of the turnpike and the automobile, the Roman roads remained the backbone of overland transport in Britain.
The Route of Ermine Street
One of the most important of these ancient highways was Ermine Street, which connected the provincial capital of Londinium with the strategic northern city of Eboracum. Its route can still largely be traced today, underlying major modern roads like the A10 and A1.
The southern terminus of Ermine Street was at the Forum in the heart of Londinium, near where the Leadenhall Market now stands. From there, it passed through Bishopsgate and what is now Shoreditch, following the course of Kingsland Road through Stoke Newington.
Continuing north, Ermine Street crossed the River Lea near the site of the modern Ponders End Railway Bridge. In Ware, Ermine Street passed a settlement that likely served as a way station for travelers plying the road. The town‘s name derives from the Old English word "wær", meaning "weir" or "dam", likely referring to a crossing over the River Lea.
Beyond Ware, Ermine Street follows the approximate route of the A10 through Buntingford and Royston before diverging onto the A1198 and A15 alignments through Godmanchester, Durobrivae (Water Newton), Causennae (Ancaster), and Lindum Colonia (Lincoln) and finally terminating at Eboracum on the River Ouse.
Echoes of an Empire
While only fragments and shadows of Ermine Street are visible today, there are still tantalizing glimpses of Britain‘s Roman past to be found along its route and that of the A10. In a quiet churchyard in Cheshunt, Hertfordshire, a stretch of the road‘s ancient gravel surface has been excavated and preserved. In fields and copses along the way, keen-eyed observers may spot the telltale raised cambering that indicates the presence of the Roman road beneath the soil.
The town of Royston, where Ermine Street intersected with the prehistoric Icknield Way, is steeped in Roman history. Its museum boasts a fine collection of Roman artifacts, including a rare figurine of the god Mercury discovered during construction work in 2015. Lindum Colonia (Lincoln), which grew up around a Roman legionary fortress on Ermine Street, still bears the imprint of its ancient street grid and retains the archway of the Newport Arch, the oldest Roman arch in Britain still used by traffic.
Perhaps most evocative of all is a short stretch of Ermine Street preserved at Blackgrounds in Lincolnshire. Here, a 300-meter section of the original Roman road, complete with its ancient drainage ditches, cuts a tangible path through the English countryside, offering a visceral connection to the thousands of soldiers, merchants, and ordinary people who once trod its paving stones.
The Legacy of Rome
The influence of Rome on Britain, from its language and laws to its art and architecture, is difficult to overstate. But perhaps nowhere is that legacy more visible and enduring than in the roads that still crisscross the island, indelibly shaping its geography, commerce, and sense of identity.
Today, the United Kingdom boasts a road network of over 262,000 miles, including nearly 2,300 miles of motorway. These modern highways may be faster, wider, and better-paved than their Roman predecessors, but they still serve the same vital functions of connecting communities, fostering trade, and facilitating travel.
In walking stretches of Ermine Street and the A10 today, we are not just retracing the steps of ancient Britons and Romans, but participating in a living history that continues to unfold. These roads are tangible reminders of the depth and complexity of Britain‘s past, and the enduring impact of the Roman Empire on the land and its people.
As the English historian Francis Pryor writes, "The Roman roads are the great survivors of British archaeology. They have been in continuous use for almost 2,000 years and yet they still have the power to excite and inspire us with their durability and the sophistication of their engineering."
So the next time you find yourself driving down the A10 or A1, take a moment to reflect on the ancient origins of these highways. In the words of the poet Ralph Waldo Emerson, "All history becomes subjective; in other words, there is properly no history; only biography." The story of Ermine Street and the A10 is not just the story of a road, but of the countless lives and journeys that have unfolded along its path, linking Britain‘s past, present, and future.
