Location :
Leicestershire
Harborough, Blaby
City of Leicester
Broughton Astley, Croft, Sharnford, Sapcote, Stoney Stanton, Narborough, Cosby, Enderby, Frolesworth, Claybrooke Magna, Braunstone
Non Civil Parish
|
More information : Foss Way. RR 5e Roman Road. High Cross - Leicester.
The north-eastward continuation of the Foss Way appears to lead off from Watling Street - RR 1f, some 50 yards south-east of the point at which it reaches it from the south-west. Stukeley observed, however, traces of the Foss Way on the south side of High Cross Farm (then an inn) and states that the present south-western road `meets the true old road at the length of a pasture'. Immediately beyond the farm the course is quite clear, along a line of hedgerows with a parish boundary, and with traces of the agger along it. In the lower ground beyond, the road becomes an enclosed green lane with a distinct agger, and near Claybrooke Lodge Farm, it is very well preserved as a turf-covered agger 27 feet wide and 1ft high. A narrow metalled road then follows it for one and three quarter miles to Stoney Bridge, near Sapcote, showing traces of the raised strip at some points. At the bridge the lane turns into the Coventry - Leicester main road, leaving a short piece of agger undisturbed just to the east of the bridge, before it becomes absorbed in the main road which then follows the straight course of the Foss Way to Narborough. The modern road diverges to the east at Narborough and the alignment is followed by hedgerows with traces of the agger running at first parallel to and one field east of Forest Road for a short distance. A lane follows the line past Enderby with some remains of the agger about 1ft high, and then hedges mark it. As it crosses the field to the eastern approach road to Enderby, the agger is clear as a ridge 24 feet wide and 1ft high. Across this road it is not visible but in the last field near Grove Farm, where it approaches the main road, it is again very distinct, although much damaged and broken. The main road then takes up the alignment and follows it closely along the Narborough Road into Leicester. This section of the Foss Way from High Cross (Venonae) is included Antonine Itineraries VI and VIII. In each case the mileage to Leicester (Ratae) is given as twelve, in good agreement with the measured distance of eleven and a half English miles. (1) See Linear Archive file RR 5e for further details (2) |