Prehistoric and Roman Roads page 2

Though not in origin a Roman road, the Icknield Way was undoubtedly used during the Roman occupation, and it was probably kept in some sort of repair. It differs essentially from aligned Roman roads, for it wanders in graceful curves, adopting the easiest course according to the lie of the land.

The Saxons called it "street," and from this it has been inferred that it was metalled, for there is good reason to believe that practically all roads which were called "street" before the Norman conquest were of Roman origin, or at any rate were in use then.

Akeman Street was so called because it led from Acemannes Ceastre (the Saxon name of Aquae Sulis, now Bath) to Verulamium (St. Albans). Part of a street in London was also called by this name, presumably because it, too, led to Bath. The road in question is mentioned in a document of Edward the Confessor (1042-1066); it lay south of the present Oxford Street.

When the Romans left Britain about the year 410 the roads continued in use, but were not repaired. The Saxons introduced an entirely different social and agricultural system. New centres sprang up and old ones decayed. Some of the towns continued; others, like Silchester and Wroxeter, died. This change necessarily affected the road-system, for many stretches of the existing roads ceased to serve any purpose and were abandoned.

Hence, to-day, we find, round towns of Roman origin, like Winchester, many Roman roads still converging and thronged with cars; while a shift of a mile, from Old Sarum to Salisbury, has turned the Roman roads into green lanes, or obliterated them altogether. They served their purpose admirably for 400 years, and no reasonable person could wish to revive them.