Well, yeah. Obviously the roads. I mean, the roads go without saying, don't they? But apart from the sanitation, the aqueduct, and the roads..........
Carrying on, turn left at the White Hart, and along Eastgate. The traffic lights at the crossroads next to the Eastgate Hotel are the site of the Roman East gate, the remains of which can be seen in the hotel car park!!! Head down Lindum Hill, and just before Pelham Bridge cut across to go past the Railway Station. The church next to the station - St Mary le Wigford - has a Roman tombstone on it's tower, re-used by the Saxons as a dedication stone.
Go over the railway crossing and South on the High Street - follows the route of Ermine Street. At St Catherines rounabout at the South Common, the road forks. The Fosse Way continues Southwest to Newark, but Ermine Street goes South up the hill to Bracebridge Heath and then fork right again along the A607 heading for Waddington. Ermine Street heads south and is known as the High Dyke and is pretty much all green lane from the end of Waddington airfield to Bayards Leap near Cranwell. I've done this on the GS before - nothing difficult when dry, but not today as its wet and a bit boggy. I just stuck to the tarmac bits and the gravelly track behind Navenby and Welbourn today.
King Street looking SE just after junction with Ermine Street.
Stayed on King Street, crossed over the A52, and then deviated slightly West to Ropsley, then back towards Sapperton to pick up King Street again just west of the village.
Haven't been out on the bike for a few weeks, so the excuse this time is to have a ride around using only Roman roads or roads running close to the routes of them.
Planned a nice little 90 miles or so starting from Lindum Colonia (Lincoln) South along Ermine Street to Causennae (Ancaster) and turning South East onto King Street, past Sapperton and onto Bourne, turning North again along the A15 for a few miles, then turning onto Mareham Lane to Sleaford. Cut across to Newark on the A17 to pick up the Fosse Way, passing Crococolana (Brough) back to Lindum Colonia.
Started in Lindum Colonia just outside the North Gate - Newport Arch. Ermine Street runs North from here to Eboracum (York). Heading under the arch into Bailgate takes you into the area of the Forum and Basilica. If you park up just past the arch, there are more bits of Roman wall to be found along East Bight and West Bight, together with the Mint Wall and a well.
Continue along Bailgate, and opposite the Lion & Snake, in the road are a line of circular granite sets - these mark the positions of columns supporting the front of the forum.
Carrying on, turn left at the White Hart, and along Eastgate. The traffic lights at the crossroads next to the Eastgate Hotel are the site of the Roman East gate, the remains of which can be seen in the hotel car park!!! Head down Lindum Hill, and just before Pelham Bridge cut across to go past the Railway Station. The church next to the station - St Mary le Wigford - has a Roman tombstone on it's tower, re-used by the Saxons as a dedication stone. Go over the railway crossing and South on the High Street - follows the route of Ermine Street. At St Catherines rounabout at the South Common, the road forks. The Fosse Way continues Southwest to Newark, but Ermine Street goes South up the hill to Bracebridge Heath and then fork right again along the A607 heading for Waddington. Ermine Street heads south and is known as the High Dyke and is pretty much all green lane from the end of Waddington airfield to Bayards Leap near Cranwell. I've done this on the GS before - nothing difficult when dry, but not today as its wet and a bit boggy. I just stuck to the tarmac bits and the gravelly track behind Navenby and Welbourn today.
Still on Ermine Street, but just South of Causennae there's the junction with King Street at the turn off for the karting venue -the tank by the side of the road.
King Street looking SE just after junction with Ermine Street.Stayed on King Street, crossed over the A52, and then deviated slightly West to Ropsley, then back towards Sapperton to pick up King Street again just west of the village.
King Street just west of Sapperton looking North - now a restricted byway. The other end of this section is Long Hollow near Braceby.
Onto King Street south through Hanby to Lenton as it follows the East Glen river. At Lenton the road tracks about 500 meters west of the route of King Street and thats it through to Bourne via Elsthorpe and Edenham
Onto King Street south through Hanby to Lenton as it follows the East Glen river. At Lenton the road tracks about 500 meters west of the route of King Street and thats it through to Bourne via Elsthorpe and Edenham
North out of Bourne on the A15, until the right turn signposted for Graby - now we're on Mareham Lane heading North for Sleaford
Ford on Mareham Lane
Through the ford, and a little deviation into Threekingham to see the whalebone arch - what the hell is a whalebone arch doing in deepest Lincolnshire? I don't know, but it's there and I took a picture.
Its then a steady run into Sleaford, weather turns wetter, then it's west on the A17 and a wet ride to Newark and the Fosse Way home to Lindum. Approx. a 95 mile round trip, small country roads with some interesting things to see on the way.
