Is This England's Highest Roman Road?
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- Опубліковано 15 чер 2024
- Doubt has been cast in recent years as to whether High Street in the Lake District is really a Roman road. For centuries, High Street has been considered to be the highest Roman road in the country.
If it is indeed a later construction, then what is the highest Roman road in England? That's what we set out to show you in this video.
It entails a pretty arduous climb up onto the North Pennines to reach the point where Margary's M84 crosses the summit plateau of Melmerby Fell. Along the way, we locate the line of the Roman road - the Maiden Way - with features revealing themselves - and we've tried to present this as a useful guide for anyone motivated to put aside their devices and explore this much overlooked road from antiquity.
Where the road crosses the summit, it reveals its Roman origins in all their glory. In what we believe to be another first for UA-cam, we look at these impressive remains in detail.
We've visited two other points on this road in previous videos. Links below:
A Roman Lozenge-Shaped Fort
• A Roman Lozenge-Shaped...
Rare Roman Find
• Rare Roman Find
#romansroad #romanroads #romanbritain #highstreet #lakedistrict #highestromanroad #northpennines #pennines #cumbria #kirkland #melmerbyfell #margary #england
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Just brilliant.
Thank you very much, Paul! I really enjoyed making this - as far as I know, no one else has looked at this on UA-cam!
Hi Darren. What a stupendous video. Well worth getting up early on a Sunday morning and watching with my breakfast coffee. You scaled new highs in a successful effort to bring us such a well preserved Roman Road. Brilliant content from end to end. Keep up the good work. 👏👏👍😀
Thank you very much and I’m really pleased the video shows off this great stretch of road. It was a rewarding experience arriving up there as the road revealed itself properly. I find it astonishing when you see the shadow of Roman Britain in such remote places!
@@WC21UKProductionsLtd That’s an excellent way to describe the reveal. Oh too often my anticipation has been thwarted by finding no more than a grassy field. Your efforts were indeed well rewarded. Here’s to the next one. 👍
The Maidens Way. Walk the full lenght from Carvoran to Kirkby Thore. Fabulous.
I did wonder about that whilst filming this. I was on the route for 7 hours and didn’t see any other hikers in all that time! So a much quieter long distance hiking option than others! Thank you for watching.
I absolutely adore the scenery up in the North Pennines but had no idea such a well preserved Roman road existed there. The condition of the road amazes me given it's been exposed for 2,000 years to some of the harshest weather England has to offer but is in places in similar condition to many modern day council 'maintained' roads. Thank you for such a fascinating and informative vid. Wish the 'Wetfootbygate' incident had been recorded.
Thanks Phil. Totally agree - the scenery up there is stunning, and so relatively unknown.
I was not disappointed when I got to the top. It was good fun tracing the road buried under the grass on the way up, but to see its structure revealed in that way as it crosses the summit was very special.
Yes, shame the camera wasn't rolling when I lost my foot in a surprisingly deep pool at that rotten old gate!!
Quite amazing how well preserved the road is considering . Thanks 🇬🇧 🇳🇿
Thank you David! It is - especially when you consider the awful weather up there. I guess it has survived because so little has happened there in the 1,800 odd years since it was abandoned. Even today, this area is not visited by large numbers of people. Glad you enjoyed it!
Another really brilliant video!!!... I have not commented over the last month or so but have to say that each week has surpassed the previous one... Keep up the great work.. It really is appreciated!!
Thank you Jimmy - that is really generous feedback and I appreciate it. So glad you’re enjoying the content.
@@WC21UKProductionsLtd No worries at all. In recent weeks you have been in my neck of the woods (Hebden Bridge).. really enjoyed the 'Roman Road' debunk on Blackstone Edge and the Saddleworth video... If you are ever in these parts again check out Castercliff Hillfort (over toward Colne)... I found this by accident (and was both in disbelief and convinced at the same time that it was a hillfort the first time I saw it). I remember talking local history and telling one of the locals in the pub about it (who is quite well up on the area) and he had never heard of it... It has also possibly got some Roman links as some finds have been made there... That area (which straddles into East Lancashire) is really overlooked around these parts and the adjacent area of Boulsworth Hill is interesting historically and pretty sublime in equal measure... also the drive to it, especially from Hebden Bridge is one of the nicest roads in the UK... it's a real secret... Oh yes, I also loved the Calderstones video... I used to work just around the corner from here and again... really overlooked!
Know that area very well. In the 60's we used to stay at the village of Melmerby in the caravan park which is there to this day. It's better developed than back then and the village is a lot posher now. It was just a sleepy farming village between Alston and Penrith at the bottom of the fells. Used to wander about the highways and byways to get to the fells, surrounding villages or the stone circles (Long Meg). Lunch would be a bag of crisps and bottle of pop in the corner of a pub where the landlord would turn a blind eye to kids in the pub.
Very much different times.
It’s a beautiful and historically, very interesting area. I get the warm glow of nostalgia from your description of spending time there in the 60s. I grew up in the 70s and can relate to what you describe. If you watch old TV shows from the time, you sometimes see pubs as they were.
Thank you for watching and sharing your memories.
Fantastic video
As a Cumbrian from the Solway Plain I find the East of my Country fascinating.
It sort of feels more remote and more timeless than Lakeland.
Wonderful research! Excellent production. Your presentation and hosting is a JOY! Wonderful stuff.
Also style never goes out of fashion!
Thank you very much, Jimmy! The contrasts in Cumbria are fascinating, aren’t they? Not only do the North Pennines look so different to Lakeland, the historic remains are different too. A lot of Neolithic and Bronze Age remains in the Lakes, very little in the North Pennines. There may of course be more to find, but it does look like our prehistoric ancestors eschewed the area in favour of the Eden valley and the Lakes.
Lovely feedback and yes, I’m immune to the whims of fashion!
Fascinating, thanks and appreciate the hard work 👍
Thank you Giles - much appreciate it.
It was a bit of an undertaking, but so worth it to see that stretch of road crossing the summit.
As it transpired, the worst bit was walking through that farmyard at 8.30pm on the return. I was waiting for dogs to launch themselves at me! Fortunately, this didn’t happen!
Quite probably the highest road in England ever then. Great video
Thanks Hedley. Well, High Street in the Lakes is definitely a road, even if it may not be Roman - that reaches 2,700 ft above sea level. This one is high enough, though!
Superb video and astonishingly well-preserved roman road and intrepid modern antiquarian. I would love to make the journey there from not-so-sunny Devon to tread the same road you did. Bravo!
Thank you! I’m really delighted that the video has managed to convey something of how spectacular this stretch of road is. It’s fun tracing the grassed over road as you ascend,, but what a revelation on the summit!
So you’re not getting a summer down in Devon, either? I keep putting the heating on here!
It's been a washout so far. The Met Office are promising sunnier climes in the coming week however...🤞
Oh thank goodness! I’d be happy if we could just get 4 weeks of good weather every summer. I don’t think we got that last year!
Another great video Darren. Another interesting raod I knew nothing about prior to your video. Thanks for sharing.
Thanks Chris! Good walking up on the North Pennines. Have you ever hiked on the moors there? I didn’t see one single walker in the 7 hours I was out making this video!
@WC21UKProductionsLtd a bit too far north for me, sadly. I have to travel 1 1/2hrs each way to the Peaks and pick Amanda up from work on the way bank. It gives me just 5hrs of hiking. I'm hoping she retires soon so we can both enjoy it.
@@WC21UKProductionsLtd it is always great to complete a hike without seeing another soul.
@@WC21UKProductionsLtd I have walked the entire length from Carvoran to Epiacum to Kirkby Thore. You need proper kit and map reading ability,
Hi Colin, what’s the visibility of the road like between Epiacum and the Alston Road? I’ve thought of exploring that for a video.
Hi Darren, that was a treat, it just got better as you went along, well done for battling on despite the conditions.
As the song goes ...... Climb every mountain, ford every deep puddle by the rotten gate post .... I may have forgotten a word or two there!!
I hold my hand up for being one of the "some of you" when I saw those rails, in fact, just looking around, can't see anyone else with their hand up. Do like a bit of industrial archeology, thank you.
What of the lead mine? I guess that must be further on. That was quite a hike you must have got back quite late, I'm often conscious about the time I need to get back especially if the light might be starting to fail.
I thought we were going to the road leading to the lozenge shaped fort, Whitely, which is the highest fort, so I understand but of course there would be higher roads. The Roman phrase that I pasted into to your video ad came from an alta at Whitley, well actually, no it came from Wikipedia.
Great video, well done, all the best!!
Thank you David. I must admit, I had you specifically in mind with the rails...!
From my understanding, the lead mining was a bit lower down and closer to where Alston is now. They've found lead pigs at Whitley Castle. There's a hint of a road that they think linked the mining areas with this road.
As well as the striking appearance of the road on the summit plateau, I was surprised at the steepness of it as it climbed up that groove. Margary comments on how unusually steep it is, but having now checked out the terrain, I don't think they really had any other options.
I used Google Translate to reply to your quote. So it probably makes absolutely no sense!
Thanks very much for that, much appreciated. From a brief search it might be an incline or tramway for lime kilns. Always interesting to see.
Paul and Rebecca did an excellent one on Dartmoor where the tracks could be traced by the stone sets. It's hard to get rid of anything physical no matter what the age.
Yesterday I was following the route of the old mountain tramway from one of the stations that is now a museum on to a large locked gate where the track enters into a hydro electric installation. On the way back I spotted an old Arabic bridge (maybe 700 years old) further up the hillside on the other side of the gorge. Higher up on that side you can see the old track heading into the enormous canales dam where it does disappear. It's still there under the waters and in times of drought parts can be seen. After the reservoir it reappears and can be walked to the end.
I can see what you mean about having no options on the route it was up that gulley or nothing
Great to see you in my beautiful and historic back yard. A great video of interesting facts well researched and presented as always! Rob
Thank you Rob! One of my favourite parts of England and wonderfully unknown!
Polished, informative, marvellous.
And just outside my beloved Penrith! To think that I could have just popped up there the week I did the Windscale-Fire-Walk! I was about to cast some doubt on your theory of this one being flagged to a large extent but when I saw the footage at 14:50 it was quite clear - it was probably as sturdy as this because of its haulage character (if such a word exists).
Thank you! Yes, I had my doubts about it having been flagged when I read up on it, but once you're on that top section I think it's pretty clear. I think you're right about why they did that and it's probably one of the reasons this section has survived so clearly for nearly 2,000 years.
I'll extend an invite to you! Let me know when you are next in Penrith and we can meet up to walk up to it from the other side. I had planned to walk further down that side, but everything took longer than planned, as usual. I believe the road up the northern side also survives well and it would be interesting to get to this section from that direction!
@@WC21UKProductionsLtd Brilliant, thanks, we're on! I just can't say when, but I am working on a comeback to the UK.
@@MattMesserPics great - whenever you’re ready!
Another top notch videologue Darren. Well researched, filmed and edited.
I wonder if in another 2000 years there'll be social media antiquarians analysing the M62 remains over the pennines? 😂
Thanks Andrew - much appreciated!
I wonder what those space age antiquarians will make of the farm in the middle of the motorway? They’ll no doubt conclude it was a ritualistic site - like we do about everything we can’t understand!
@WC21UKProductionsLtd Indeed...they'll probably name it something along the lines of 'Robyn Hoode's partition' or some other mumbo-jumbo 🤣
If you never cross the pond to visit Oregon, know that your video footage (6:57-7:02 also 11:12-11:22 mark) is quite similar to the views I spied yesterday (June 15th) at 1,200' ASL from the "Coburg Hills" just North of Eugene, looking West towards the Coast Range above the Willamette Valley.
Just tack-on a thousand feet+, to your views to the West and 3 - 5 thousand feet to the height of the Cascades to the East, (plus Douglas-fir covered ridges) and you can imagine what it looks like where I'm fortunate enough to call home.
Enjoying your perambulations about the Fells on Roman roads, I get to experience a bit of the UK along with you!
Cheers and a thumbs-up from the Willamette Valley in the Oregon Country
That’s incredible - thank you! I must confess that I know very little about Oregon, but it sounds like a place I’d enjoy. Quite a lot higher than this little outing!
We need Mr WC 21(UK) to visit the U.S.A ...He'd cut an extraordinary dash dressed in his wonderful Tweed attire in the U.S. Maybe if he creates a FB group, and a join channel element therein, that many of us would happily pay a monthly subscription for, he'll get there...I have suggested it to the good man before...but...
I don't know what a "FB group" entails, but a tweed-draped Gent hiking through the Cascades would generate quite the media buzz. Interviews and celebrity would follow, and all the wonderful incognito rambles would turn into hordes of acolytes tromping along behind him. (Think "Forrest Gump" whilst running across the US.)
We don't want all that!? (Or do we...?)
@@lpeterman I agree ...it'd be fun...Launch the Tweed wearing English antiquarian onto the U.S.A market ...They'd love his quirkiness.
Hi Phil, I will sort this and haven’t forgotten. I need to sort out UA-cam Membership and Patreon too!
Thanks
Cheers Phil - you are very kind and I appreciate it!
My mobile phone decided to Sh*t itself ...An old Ronnie Corbett joke regarding his producer...I couldn't buy you a well deserved coffee, because the bank send a bank code to support your channel that my phone would not read...alas!...So used the ❤Thanks feature to buy you a well deserved Dandelion and Burdock.It's a very easy method of supporting Darren's future ventures.
Thank you Phil. I appreciate people watching my videos and when they are as kind as you, it’s almost overwhelming. Thank you very much!
Mr WC21(UK) 's future ventures ...Please forgive my informality there.
No mention of Margary until the 8-minute mark. Well done. I suppose you have to mention him at some point.
Hi Jim, I did show some restraint there, didn’t I? Do you know, I once had a comment from someone who actually knew Margary, he described him as an imposing chap!
Fantastic scenery and once again I really learnt something about the Roman era of Britain, particularly Roman road construction. Very timely given the video I published today which seems a bit slapdash now!
I found the bits about the Romans wanting to exploit our natural resources interesting - I had a vague notion of that given the ancient tin mines in Devon and Cornwall, but I had always lazily assumed the empire just constantly grew to swallow up wherever the next frontier was pretty much irrespective of what was there.
Were there gaps along the way where they couldn't be bothered invading? Switzerland strikes me as hard work, with all those mountains, and I'm not sure what the pay-off would have been for the Romans, although I personally do like fondue and Toblerone. It does seem like rather a lot of effort to mount a full scale invasion of a country and build all that infrastructure in order to get your hands on its lead, rather than just engaging in trade to acquire those materials...?
Obviously that sort of behaviour has continued in modern times though, so it shouldn't be so surprising to me!
Thank you Tweedy!
You raise a great question there! The Romans were trading with British tribes for years before both the abortive invasion of 55 BC and the successful one of 43 BC. But I guess the temptation of “taking out the middle man” was strong. There was some political credibility for Claudius in 43 AD too. But as you say, their investment here was huge. I imagine there might have been a few times over the 4 centuries when they regretted having taken this rain drenched island - with its troublesome natives - on! The modern analogy I think of is how other EU member states must have felt about us!
Switzerland was, I believe, part of the Roman Empire before us! I think they may have been troublesome Celts too.
Isn’t it interesting that we’ve both been out exploring Roman roads at opposite ends of England in the last few days?!
What did the Romans ever do for us ? As Monty Python famously asked. Have driven through Melmerby and up Hartside plenty of times but didn’t know about the Roman road close by . Very interesting video.
Thank you, Thomas. Glad you found it interesting. A little known or appreciated Roman road. But that's probably helped it to survive like this. One of the things they did for us (if we're taking the position of the Britons! It gets confusing!) was to make us dig up lead for them, it seems. Weren't they kind!
Very nice road! I am well jealous. That edge at the top was gorgeous and had a clear agger all the way up. Did you know it was in that good condition?
It was great, wasn’t it?! I guess it has survived because no one has really done anything up there since the Romans left.
I had read Margary’s description and seen one picture, but had never been up there. I need to go up from the other side of the fell because that is good too, according to Margary.
Thank you for watching.
@@WC21UKProductionsLtd Its a long slog up from the Hartside pass road.
@@colinearnshaw7725 i was looking at the map, it all looks like a slog
Always a pleasure.
Thank you very much. Glad you enjoyed it!
IN THE VOICE OF MADONNA
Hey
Boy
Get into the groove, you've got to
Pave your love to-oo me
A missed opportunity, but thankfully, no copyright strike. 😁
Cheers. I was sorely tempted - I know how popular my singing is - but I concluded that if anyone was going to sue me, it would be her! I bet she subscribes!
Another great video, enjoyed it thoroughly. PS Nice boots! PPS Have you thought about taking helicopter pilot lessons? It would cut down your travel time!
Thank you! I am very pleased with these Scarpa boots, by the way. I used to always stick with the Brasher Hill Master, but the quality has just slipped away on those. These Scarpa boots have been made the same way for decades, apparently. They can contact me about advertising too, if they like!
A helicopter would transform my life, you are right!
Nice vid mate
Thank you very much! Only Foxgloves this week!
@@WC21UKProductionsLtd and cotton grass!
Oh yes! I like that!
Most interesting, theirs a Roman road high up on the Yorkshire moors, they now saying they’re not sure any more, been to it many times , the wheel dale road, goathland.
Thank you, Rose. I'm planning to cover that road in a video at some stage. Like High Street, long assumed to be Roman, but is it?! Thank you for watching and commenting.
@@WC21UKProductionsLtdThat’s great I’ll look forward to watching 👌
😎
great video once again!
Thank you Warren!
Hi Mr WC21 ....An unrelated question to your amazing vid that occurred to me while replying to Mr Tweedy Outdoors latest post about the summer solstice. Given the Romans made a determined effort to eradicate the Britons religious hierarchy (The druids) at Anglesey. Why did they not then go on to destroy important indigenous ceremonial sites like Stonehenge as they did when they defeated the Carthaginians post the Punic wars?
Another very good question. I will have to do some research on this, but potentially another great concept for a future video!
Elsewhere we’ve seen many examples of the local pagan Gods being adopted by the Roman conquerors - a process of assimilation.
Leave this one with me and thank you!
What about the Yorkshire roman roads or the Antione's Wall ?
Hi Suzanne - yes I will absolutely be doing something on the Antonine Wall at some stage.
In terms of Yorkshire Roman roads, I’ve so far made videos including a couple. In the Roman Gazette playlist, the videos are called, “Doorstep Roman Archaeology” and “Spme Roman Stuff I’nt Dales”.
There are other Roman roads in that playlist too, I’ve only recently started this separate one to look at specific questions relating to Roman roads. Like the what is the highest and debunked roads etc.
Thank you for watching and commenting.
I'm wondering how many subscribers squealed?😂😛 Eastern Cumbria/Pennines is as bleak as ever I see... I prefer the cosier bit in the middle of the lakes that appeared in the distance when you got to the rather interesting road (which is probably the only reason to go all the way out there up that hill...) Written from the comfort of my sofa on a rainy sunday here in Belgium. I shall be in the Lakes for a week visiting my folks towards the end of next month though. Hopefully it will be sunnier by then...
I've heard quite a lot of squealing so far. I knew they would!
Yes, it is a bleak landscape up there - I always enjoy the sense of isolation and the silence. I've done Cross Fell in pretty harsh winter conditions a couple of times and it's tough going. I loved it, though.
I'm really hoping we'll see some nice weather soon. I can count on one hand the number of days when you could reasonably describe it as "warm". Hopefully the summer will arrive for your visit.
Thank you for watching and commenting.
I love the bleakness ...It's oddly comforting.
Excellently entertaining and informative video and well worth getting that Booty (what we always called getting your feet or a foot soaked) for!
Cheers! Yes, I found it a small price to pay for visiting that superb stretch of Roman road! Glad you enjoyed the video.
By the way. It b;oomom hard work and you need proper kit!
Yes, I would! Did you walk the length of the Maiden Way?
Now find the lowest.
Thanks for that suggestion, Keith! I will try to do that!
Channel cuniculi? Hahaha!