London to Lewes Way (Roman road)
Encyclopedia
The London to Lewes Way is a 71 kilometres (44.1 mi) long Roman road
between Watling Street
at Peckham
and Lewes
in Sussex. The road passes through Beckenham
and West Wickham
, then crosses the North Downs
above Titsey
, on the county boundary between Surrey
and Kent
, and is overlain by Edenbridge
High Street.
The road continues on this alignment onto the high ground of Ashdown Forest
, where the more grassy vegetation on the silted up outer ditches contrasts very clearly with surrounding heather in aerial photographs, then descends through Piltdown to Lewes, linking with the Sussex Greensand Way at Barcombe Mills
and with a network of roads at Lewes.
and gravel
were used over the North Downs and towards the South Downs
, with slag
from the Wealden iron industry
used extensively for the middle sections, sometimes mixed with sandstone
from Ashdown Forest and sometimes as a solid mass. At Holtye near East Grinstead
a length of road excavated in 1939 revealed iron slag metalling showing cart ruts. Part of this has been left exposed and fenced off by the Sussex Archaeological Trust for viewing.
The width of the road varies greatly between places, from as narrow as 4.4 metres (14.4 ft) to as wide as 10.5 metres (34.4 ft) at Butcher's Cross, Hartfield
. As no kerb was used the intended width is not known and spreading of material may have increased the eventual width. Where the road crosses hillsides on terraceways the width is about 3.8 metres (12.5 ft). Where outer ditches are visible on Ashdown Forest they are 19 metres (62.3 ft) apart.
Thickness of metalling also varies greatly, as does the size of agger. In some places a thick mass of iron slag was laid on the land surface, as at the excavated section at Holtye where the slag metalling was 30 centimetres (11.8 in) in the centre reducing to 7.5 centimetres (3 in) at the edges, laid directly on the clay subsoil and rusted into a concrete-like mass. Elsewhere an earth agger was protected by a much thinner stone layer, as on Ashdown Forest near Five Hundred Acre Wood where only about 7.5 centimetres (3 in) of compacted sandstone lumps were bedded on 5 centimetres (2 in) of yellow clay. The London end of the road was built of gravel or small flints over a layer of larger flints or pebbles, about 30 centimetres (11.8 in) thick at the centre, sometimes on a bed of sand.
in what is now the back garden of Number 77, Asylum Road, in Peckham, running parallel to the road for some distance under other back gardens. Here the road was built of gravel on a base of pebbles. Passing just east of Nunhead railway station
the road runs along Ivydale Road, crosses the Crystal Palace Railway, and crosses Brockley Rise at St. Hilda's Church heading to Blyth Hill.
village centre, crosses Corkscrew Hill, and goes down to the Addington
to Hayes
road. From Rowdown Woods the Surrey/Kent county boundary follows the road, making a V shaped kink at Skid Hill where the road deviates from the alignment to cross a steep valley. This alignment, marked by tracks and hedgerows, continues to the top of the North Downs above Titsey
where it is more than 260 metres (853 ft) above sea level. Here the road makes a sharp turn eastwards to follow the ridge of the downs, passing south of Tatsfield church before beginning its descent of the escarpment
on a terraceway, originally 3.8 metres (12.5 ft) wide, passing west of the rectory, to cross the Pilgrims Way. The road is followed by the Titsey-Tatfield parish boundary for 4 kilometres (2.5 mi).
cuts across the road south of the temple site, at the end of the eastern slip roads of Clacket Lane services
. Some Roman artifacts found during construction of the service areas are on display there. In the woods east of Limpsfield Chart
the road deviates from the alignment to avoid steep slopes, curving to the east on a route followed by the modern road through Crockham Hill
before rejoining the alignment north of Marlpit Hill.
and continuing to Dencross, where it continues as a private drive, is the most impressive surviving section of the road. Beyond this the road has been lost, seen only in hedgelines and traces of iron slag metalling in fields. In Peters Wood at Holtye an agger with iron slag metalling can be seen and on a footpath south of the A264 road
road a length of almost 100 metres of intact road was excavated in 1939, revealing a slag metalled surface in excellent condition and showing wheel marks. Part of this area south of the road has been kept uncovered by the Sussex Archaeological Trust. The agger is clearly visible south of this point and again at Butcherfield Lane, Hartfield, where 40 centimetres (15.7 in) of slag metalling was found on a large wide agger. The road then climbs a small steep hill in an engineered cutting. At Chuck Hatch the road enters Ashdown Forest, zig-zagging to cross a gill
at Loneoak Hall, then maintaining its straight line onto the high forest. It then turns 46 degrees west and uses a number of straight alignments to follow the ridge to Camp Hill. This forest section was metalled with sandstone, and was more clearly visible before being damaged by tank training exercises during World War II. Distinct side ditches near Camp Hill are 19 metres (62.3 ft) apart.
there is a 4.5 metres (14.8 ft) wide terrace cut into a sandstone outcrop. After passing west of Maresfield
the road can be traced through Park Wood and Fairhazel Wood at Piltdown as an agger with slag metalling. A visible agger in the park at Buckham Hill House was found by Margary to have perfectly intact metalling of slag, gravel and brown flints, 4.5 metres (14.8 ft) wide and 38 centimetres (15 in) thick in the centre. The road passes to the west of Isfield
's remote church, through a triangular water meadow, before crossing the River Ouse
beside a Norman castle motte
, suggesting that there was still a river crossing to guard at the Norman conquest. Near Gallops Farm the road runs along the eastern side of Alder Coppice and traces of slag can be found in the fields all the way to Barcombe Mills
and the junction with the Sussex Greensand Way. The road recrossed the Ouse at the mill site and was found intact in a field to the south, 6 metres (19.7 ft) wide, solidly constructed from flint and a little slag. Some pottery fragments found at the road edge suggest a date of 100 A.D. or earlier. Beyond this some 700 metres (765.5 yd) of road have been eroded away by the river, then the course of the road can be traced by slag in the fields west of Wellingham House. The modern A26 road
runs on the line from Pay Gate Cottages, past Upper Stoneham Farm, then turns southwest to skirt round Malling Down while the Roman road continues along the east side of the allotment
s and over the shoulder of the down to Cliffe.
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
between Watling Street
Watling Street
Watling Street is the name given to an ancient trackway in England and Wales that was first used by the Britons mainly between the modern cities of Canterbury and St Albans. The Romans later paved the route, part of which is identified on the Antonine Itinerary as Iter III: "Item a Londinio ad...
at Peckham
Peckham
Peckham is a district in south London, England, located in the London Borough of Southwark. It is situated south-east of Charing Cross. The area is identified in the London Plan as one of 35 major centres in Greater London...
and Lewes
Lewes
Lewes is the county town of East Sussex, England and historically of all of Sussex. It is a civil parish and is the centre of the Lewes local government district. The settlement has a history as a bridging point and as a market town, and today as a communications hub and tourist-oriented town...
in Sussex. The road passes through Beckenham
Beckenham
Beckenham is a town in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is located 8.4 miles south east of Charing Cross and 1.75 miles west of Bromley town...
and West Wickham
West Wickham
West Wickham is a place in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is 10.3 miles south east of Charing Cross. West Wickham history dates back to early settlements existing since 1068, although the name `Wickham` is an indication of an earlier Anglo-Saxon settlement...
, then crosses the North Downs
North Downs
The North Downs are a ridge of chalk hills in south east England that stretch from Farnham in Surrey to the White Cliffs of Dover in Kent. The North Downs lie within two Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty , the Surrey Hills and the Kent Downs...
above Titsey
Titsey
Titsey is a civil parish in Tandridge Borough Council in Surrey. The census area Tatsfield and Titsey has a population of 1,816. The parish council clerk is David Innes. Separate springs in Titsey are the sources of the River Darent and the River Eden....
, on the county boundary between Surrey
Surrey
Surrey is a county in the South East of England and is one of the Home Counties. The county borders Greater London, Kent, East Sussex, West Sussex, Hampshire and Berkshire. The historic county town is Guildford. Surrey County Council sits at Kingston upon Thames, although this has been part of...
and Kent
Kent
Kent is a county in southeast England, and is one of the home counties. It borders East Sussex, Surrey and Greater London and has a defined boundary with Essex in the middle of the Thames Estuary. The ceremonial county boundaries of Kent include the shire county of Kent and the unitary borough of...
, and is overlain by Edenbridge
Edenbridge, Kent
Edenbridge is a town and civil parish in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. The town's name derives from Old English language "Eadhelmsbrigge" . It is located on the Kent/Surrey border on the upper floodplain of the River Medway and gives its name to the latter's tributary, the River Eden...
High Street.
The road continues on this alignment onto the high ground of Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest
Ashdown Forest is an ancient area of tranquil open heathland occupying the highest sandy ridge-top of the High Weald Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty. It is situated some south of London in the county of East Sussex, England...
, where the more grassy vegetation on the silted up outer ditches contrasts very clearly with surrounding heather in aerial photographs, then descends through Piltdown to Lewes, linking with the Sussex Greensand Way at Barcombe Mills
Barcombe Mills
Barcombe Mills is a small settlement and an area of countryside including a local nature reserve near the village of Barcombe Cross in East Sussex, England. It is located in the civil parish of Barcombe in the Lewes District. It is an important area for its wildlife, natural beauty and water storage...
and with a network of roads at Lewes.
Dating evidence
First and early second pottery fragments were found over the edge of the road near Barcombe Mills,which, together with the heavy construction and planned alignments, indicate a late 1st or early 2nd century date.Design and construction
Five main alignments were used for the road, with local diversions from them to ease gradients and avoid wet ground. FlintFlint
Flint is a hard, sedimentary cryptocrystalline form of the mineral quartz, categorized as a variety of chert. It occurs chiefly as nodules and masses in sedimentary rocks, such as chalks and limestones. Inside the nodule, flint is usually dark grey, black, green, white, or brown in colour, and...
and gravel
Gravel
Gravel is composed of unconsolidated rock fragments that have a general particle size range and include size classes from granule- to boulder-sized fragments. Gravel can be sub-categorized into granule and cobble...
were used over the North Downs and towards the South Downs
South Downs
The South Downs is a range of chalk hills that extends for about across the south-eastern coastal counties of England from the Itchen Valley of Hampshire in the west to Beachy Head, near Eastbourne, East Sussex, in the east. It is bounded on its northern side by a steep escarpment, from whose...
, with slag
Slag
Slag is a partially vitreous by-product of smelting ore to separate the metal fraction from the unwanted fraction. It can usually be considered to be a mixture of metal oxides and silicon dioxide. However, slags can contain metal sulfides and metal atoms in the elemental form...
from the Wealden iron industry
Wealden iron industry
The Wealden iron industry was located in the Weald of south-eastern England. It was formerly an important industry, producing a large proportion of the bar iron made in England in the 16th century and most British cannon until about 1770. Ironmaking in the Weald used ironstone from various clay...
used extensively for the middle sections, sometimes mixed with sandstone
Sandstone
Sandstone is a sedimentary rock composed mainly of sand-sized minerals or rock grains.Most sandstone is composed of quartz and/or feldspar because these are the most common minerals in the Earth's crust. Like sand, sandstone may be any colour, but the most common colours are tan, brown, yellow,...
from Ashdown Forest and sometimes as a solid mass. At Holtye near East Grinstead
East Grinstead
East Grinstead is a town and civil parish in the northeastern corner of Mid Sussex, West Sussex in England near the East Sussex, Surrey, and Kent borders. It lies south of London, north northeast of Brighton, and east northeast of the county town of Chichester...
a length of road excavated in 1939 revealed iron slag metalling showing cart ruts. Part of this has been left exposed and fenced off by the Sussex Archaeological Trust for viewing.
The width of the road varies greatly between places, from as narrow as 4.4 metres (14.4 ft) to as wide as 10.5 metres (34.4 ft) at Butcher's Cross, Hartfield
Hartfield
Hartfield is a civil parish in East Sussex, England. Settlements within the parish include the village of Hartfield, Colemans Hatch, Hammerwood and Holtye, all lying on the northern edge of Ashdown Forest.-Geography:...
. As no kerb was used the intended width is not known and spreading of material may have increased the eventual width. Where the road crosses hillsides on terraceways the width is about 3.8 metres (12.5 ft). Where outer ditches are visible on Ashdown Forest they are 19 metres (62.3 ft) apart.
Thickness of metalling also varies greatly, as does the size of agger. In some places a thick mass of iron slag was laid on the land surface, as at the excavated section at Holtye where the slag metalling was 30 centimetres (11.8 in) in the centre reducing to 7.5 centimetres (3 in) at the edges, laid directly on the clay subsoil and rusted into a concrete-like mass. Elsewhere an earth agger was protected by a much thinner stone layer, as on Ashdown Forest near Five Hundred Acre Wood where only about 7.5 centimetres (3 in) of compacted sandstone lumps were bedded on 5 centimetres (2 in) of yellow clay. The London end of the road was built of gravel or small flints over a layer of larger flints or pebbles, about 30 centimetres (11.8 in) thick at the centre, sometimes on a bed of sand.
Peckham to Blyth Hill
This northernmost alignment branched from Watling Street close to the Old Kent RoadOld Kent Road
The Old Kent Road is a road in South East London, England and forms part of Watling Street, the Roman road which ran from Dover to Holyhead. The street is famous as the equal cheapest property on the London Monopoly board and as the only one in South London....
in what is now the back garden of Number 77, Asylum Road, in Peckham, running parallel to the road for some distance under other back gardens. Here the road was built of gravel on a base of pebbles. Passing just east of Nunhead railway station
Nunhead railway station
Nunhead railway station is a railway station in the Nunhead area of the London Borough of Southwark. The station and all trains serving it are operated by Southeastern...
the road runs along Ivydale Road, crosses the Crystal Palace Railway, and crosses Brockley Rise at St. Hilda's Church heading to Blyth Hill.
Blyth Hill to Titsey
On Blyth Hill the road the road turns 9 degrees to the south, and crosses the River Pool, then turns another 6 degrees southward onto the next main alignment. Here the intact road was found to be made of gravel on pebbles and flints under a golf course. It then crosses the railway about 210 metre east of Beckenham railway station. Going through Beckenham it passes close to Langley House then east of West WickhamWest Wickham
West Wickham is a place in the London Borough of Bromley, England. It is 10.3 miles south east of Charing Cross. West Wickham history dates back to early settlements existing since 1068, although the name `Wickham` is an indication of an earlier Anglo-Saxon settlement...
village centre, crosses Corkscrew Hill, and goes down to the Addington
Addington, London
Addington is a district of south London, England, located in the London Borough of Croydon. It is situated south south-east of Charing Cross.-History:...
to Hayes
Hayes, Bromley
Hayes is a place in the London Borough of Bromley, south-east London, England. It has two main areas of activity: the ancient village and suburban Hayes.-The ancient village of Nimrods :...
road. From Rowdown Woods the Surrey/Kent county boundary follows the road, making a V shaped kink at Skid Hill where the road deviates from the alignment to cross a steep valley. This alignment, marked by tracks and hedgerows, continues to the top of the North Downs above Titsey
Titsey
Titsey is a civil parish in Tandridge Borough Council in Surrey. The census area Tatsfield and Titsey has a population of 1,816. The parish council clerk is David Innes. Separate springs in Titsey are the sources of the River Darent and the River Eden....
where it is more than 260 metres (853 ft) above sea level. Here the road makes a sharp turn eastwards to follow the ridge of the downs, passing south of Tatsfield church before beginning its descent of the escarpment
Escarpment
An escarpment is a steep slope or long cliff that occurs from erosion or faulting and separates two relatively level areas of differing elevations.-Description and variants:...
on a terraceway, originally 3.8 metres (12.5 ft) wide, passing west of the rectory, to cross the Pilgrims Way. The road is followed by the Titsey-Tatfield parish boundary for 4 kilometres (2.5 mi).
Titsey to Marlpit Hill
600 metres (656.2 yd) south of the Pilgrims Way, at the foot of the escarpment, the road passed a Roman temple where it turned onto the major alignment that goes to Marlpit Hill north of Edenbridge. This alignment was parallel to that north of the downs, but half a mile further east. The M25 motorwayM25 motorway
The M25 motorway, or London Orbital, is a orbital motorway that almost encircles Greater London, England, in the United Kingdom. The motorway was first mooted early in the 20th century. A few sections, based on the now abandoned London Ringways plan, were constructed in the early 1970s and it ...
cuts across the road south of the temple site, at the end of the eastern slip roads of Clacket Lane services
Clacket Lane services
Clacket Lane services is a motorway service station on the M25 motorway in Surrey, United Kingdom that is owned by RoadChef. Services are located on either side of the motorway between Westerham, Kent and Limpsfield, Surrey....
. Some Roman artifacts found during construction of the service areas are on display there. In the woods east of Limpsfield Chart
Limpsfield Chart
Limpsfield Chart is a village near to Oxted in Surrey, just south of the A25.The High Chart to the east of Limpsfield is a large area of woodland owned by the National Trust and has a large network of footpaths. Within this area is the small settlement of Limpsfield Chart...
the road deviates from the alignment to avoid steep slopes, curving to the east on a route followed by the modern road through Crockham Hill
Crockham Hill
Crockham Hill is a village in the Sevenoaks district of Kent, England. It is about south of Westerham, and Chartwell is nearby.The village street is on the line of a Roman road, the London to Lewes Way....
before rejoining the alignment north of Marlpit Hill.
Marlpit Hill to Ashdown Forest
At Marlpit Hill the road makes a small direction change of only three degrees, and almost entirely keeps to this line to the high ground of Ashdown Forest. The straight run of Edenbridge High Street, crossing the River EdenRiver Eden, Kent
The River Eden in West Kent is a tributary of the River Medway. It travels through the Weald of Kent from the border with Surrey, rising from the source in Titsey parish, Surrey, grid reference TQ 420 551, about 350 metres north of Clacket Lane motorway services, and flowing...
and continuing to Dencross, where it continues as a private drive, is the most impressive surviving section of the road. Beyond this the road has been lost, seen only in hedgelines and traces of iron slag metalling in fields. In Peters Wood at Holtye an agger with iron slag metalling can be seen and on a footpath south of the A264 road
A264 road
The A264 is an east-west road in southern England that runs from Pembury in west Kent to Five Oaks in West Sussex.There have been a number of notable changes in this important east-west route which follows the north Sussex border with Kent and Surrey....
road a length of almost 100 metres of intact road was excavated in 1939, revealing a slag metalled surface in excellent condition and showing wheel marks. Part of this area south of the road has been kept uncovered by the Sussex Archaeological Trust. The agger is clearly visible south of this point and again at Butcherfield Lane, Hartfield, where 40 centimetres (15.7 in) of slag metalling was found on a large wide agger. The road then climbs a small steep hill in an engineered cutting. At Chuck Hatch the road enters Ashdown Forest, zig-zagging to cross a gill
Gill (stream)
Ghyll or Gill is used for a stream or narrow valley in the North of England and other parts of the United Kingdom. The word originates from the Old Norse Gil...
at Loneoak Hall, then maintaining its straight line onto the high forest. It then turns 46 degrees west and uses a number of straight alignments to follow the ridge to Camp Hill. This forest section was metalled with sandstone, and was more clearly visible before being damaged by tank training exercises during World War II. Distinct side ditches near Camp Hill are 19 metres (62.3 ft) apart.
Camp Hill to Lewes
The southernmost 18 kilometres (11.2 mi) alignment to Lewes was sighted between Camp Hill and Malling Hill on the east side of Lewes. The road passes east of Streater's Farm, which is likely to have taken its name from the road, and runs east of the modern road to Duddleswell until crossing it 220 metres (240.6 yd) north of Fairwarp church. A slag metalled agger exists at Old Workhouse Farm where the road leaves the open forest. Before reaching the roundabout on the A22 roadA22 road
The A22 is one of the two-digit major roads in the south east of England. It carries traffic from London to Eastbourne on the East Sussex coast...
there is a 4.5 metres (14.8 ft) wide terrace cut into a sandstone outcrop. After passing west of Maresfield
Maresfield
Maresfield is a village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex, England. The village itself lies 1.5 miles north from Uckfield; the nearby villages of Nutley and Fairwarp; and the smaller settlements of Duddleswell and Horney Common; and parts of Ashdown Forest all lie within...
the road can be traced through Park Wood and Fairhazel Wood at Piltdown as an agger with slag metalling. A visible agger in the park at Buckham Hill House was found by Margary to have perfectly intact metalling of slag, gravel and brown flints, 4.5 metres (14.8 ft) wide and 38 centimetres (15 in) thick in the centre. The road passes to the west of Isfield
Isfield
Isfield is a small village and civil parish in the Wealden District of East Sussex in England, located north-north-west of Lewes.-History:The village of Isfield originally grew adjacent to the ford where the London to Lewes Way Roman road crossed the river River Ouse...
's remote church, through a triangular water meadow, before crossing the River Ouse
River Ouse, Sussex
The River Ouse is a river in the counties of West and East Sussex in England.-Course:The river rises near Lower Beeding and runs eastwards into East Sussex, meandering narrowly and turning slowly southward...
beside a Norman castle motte
Motte-and-bailey
A motte-and-bailey is a form of castle, with a wooden or stone keep situated on a raised earthwork called a motte, accompanied by an enclosed courtyard, or bailey, surrounded by a protective ditch and palisade...
, suggesting that there was still a river crossing to guard at the Norman conquest. Near Gallops Farm the road runs along the eastern side of Alder Coppice and traces of slag can be found in the fields all the way to Barcombe Mills
Barcombe Mills
Barcombe Mills is a small settlement and an area of countryside including a local nature reserve near the village of Barcombe Cross in East Sussex, England. It is located in the civil parish of Barcombe in the Lewes District. It is an important area for its wildlife, natural beauty and water storage...
and the junction with the Sussex Greensand Way. The road recrossed the Ouse at the mill site and was found intact in a field to the south, 6 metres (19.7 ft) wide, solidly constructed from flint and a little slag. Some pottery fragments found at the road edge suggest a date of 100 A.D. or earlier. Beyond this some 700 metres (765.5 yd) of road have been eroded away by the river, then the course of the road can be traced by slag in the fields west of Wellingham House. The modern A26 road
A26 road
For the road in Northern Ireland see A26 road The A26 road is one of the three cross-country two-digit numbered roads in the southeast of England, the others being the A25 road and A27 road. It carries traffic from Maidstone in Kent in a generally south-westerly direction to Tunbridge Wells and...
runs on the line from Pay Gate Cottages, past Upper Stoneham Farm, then turns southwest to skirt round Malling Down while the Roman road continues along the east side of the allotment
Allotment (gardening)
An allotment garden, often called simply an allotment, is a plot of land made available for individual, non-professional gardening. Such plots are formed by subdividing a piece of land into a few or up to several hundreds of land parcels that are assigned to individuals or families...
s and over the shoulder of the down to Cliffe.