Roman Roads of North East Wales and Cheshire
New Discoveries
|
The late R J A Dutton self-published his research in this interesting book. As an amateur in the field he went to great lengths to verify his ideas with digs and photos, reporting finds to the authorities. He also used his own form of English Grammar but this does not detract from the real finds in the book. Price of book: £9.99
164 Pages Published by RJA Dutton in 2011 ISBN: 978-1-901299-25-0
|
The late R J A Dutton first became interested in Roman roads during the early 1970s having once owned a field with a Roman road across it. With some knowledge of ancient landscapes and construction methods while working in Cumbria and having attended courses on the Roman period he began to specialise in the search for the most difficult sections of Roman roads. In 1985 he attempted to find the course of the Roman road from Chester to Wilderspool. It took almost eight years. He then found many more roads across Cheshire and North Wales - some shown in 'Hidden Highways of North Wales' and 'Hidden Highways of Cheshire'. He also discovered Roman roads, Roman camps, Saxon sites and moated sites, all reported to the authorities. His research was deposited with the Clwyd-Powys Archaeological Trust and the Cheshire Record Office before he died.
As an amateur, some of R J A Dutton's roads were the subject of derision by professionals, for example at Wrexham and Ruthin, however when Roman sites were found on building sites a few years afterward, he was proved correct.
This book contains only a portion of the fifty or so photos of each road, together with maps and descriptions.
Roads include Chester to Ffrith, Alford to Hawarden, Hawarden to Penrhos, Penrhos to Llanfor, Caer Gai to Brithdir, The Roman bypass of Penrhos Fort, The Street (Chester to Wliderspool), Chester to Stafford, Ruthin to St Asaph, Bwlchgwyn to Ruthin, Hawarden to Ffrith, Holt to Newbridge, Penrhos Fort to Caer Llugwy.