Monument record MDR230 - Route of the Buxton-Melandra Roman road in Wormhill parish
Type and Period (1)
- ROAD (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
Section of the Roman road from Buxton to Glossop (Aquae Arnemetiae to Melandra), passing through the parish of Wormhill. (1,2) See SMR 99028 for the parent record dealing with the road as a whole.
The junction of the Buxton to Melandra road with Batham Gate lies within Wormhill parish and is of some interest. It is over one and a half miles from the probable site of the fort and from this it seems likely that the roads are contemporary in date. If built earlier than the Melandra road, Batham Gate would surely have taken a more direct route. However, this leaves the possibility that the road to the east was linked in at a later date and this unusual approach caused confusion in the past. One account was rather ambiguous and led to later researchers assuming that the Batham Gate alignment was the final approach, continuing it beyond the junction, and reaching the conclusion that the fort was situated on Corbar Hill to the north-west of Buxton. The junction of the two roads is not visible on the ground. In a field between and to the west of Tomthorn and Thorn Head Farm the road to Melandra makes a sharp turn northwards, and here the agger is very prominent and is a striking feature. From here northwards the line is damaged at intervals but still impressive, especially as most of the field walls rise up strongly over the agger. Around where it crosses into Chapel-en-le-Frith parish the line is now overlaid by recent landscaping undertaken to remove an old limeash heap. (3)
Sources/Archives (3)
- <1> SDR16324 Bibliographic reference: Wroe, P & Mellor, P. 1971. 'A Roman Road Between Buxton and Melandra Castle, Glossop', Derbyshire Archaeological Journal. Vol. 91, pp 40-57.
- <2> SDR14487 Index: NDAT. 1023. 1023.
- <3> SDR19961 Unpublished document: Wroe, P. 1999. A Roman Road between Buxton and Melandra Castle, Glossop. p11.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 073 760 (202m by 1301m) (Linear) |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | WORMHILL, HIGH PEAK, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (2)
- EDR3884
- EDR2401
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External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 14 2020 10:16PM