Watling Street, Kent

Historical Description

Watling Street, a quondam Roman road from the E coast of Kent, through the SE and centre of England, into North Wales, and thence through the N of England into Scotland. It was formed by the Romans, partly by reconstruction of the ancient British Guathelin Way; took the name of Via Vatelliana, either by corruption of the ancient British name or in compliment to the Emperor Vatellius; and was known to the Saxons as Waetlinga-strat, afterwards corrupted into Watling Street. It began at the Roman station Rutupiae, afterwards Richborough, 1½ mile N by W of Sandwich; goes by Canterbury, Rochester, and South-fleet, to London; is commemorated there by a street still bearing its name; went by Brockley and St Albans, to Dunstable; crossed Icknield Street there; proceeded by Fenny Stratford, Towcester, and Borough Hills, to High Cross; was met there by the Fosse Way; went on, by Mancetter, to Wall; was met there by Ryknield Street, and sent off thence a branch to Chesterton; proceeded by Oakengate and Wellington, to Wroxeter; forked there into lines toward respectively Leintwardine, Bangor, and Chester; proceeded from Chester, by Northwich, Stretford, Manchester, Ilkley, Masham, Catterick, Pierce Bridge, Binchester, Lanchester, Ebchester, Corbridge, and Rochester, to Chew Green; and there went into Scotland, to pass on to the Moray Frith at Burgh Head. Very much of it has been converted into good common highway, but considerable reaches retain all the features of its original construction, and are either little used or entirely deserted and grass-grown.