There are, which indeuoring to bring all things to their Saxon
originall, doo affirme, that this diuision of waies, (whereof we now
intreat) should apperteine vnto such princes of that nation as reigned
here, since the Romanes gaue vs ouer: and herevpon they inferre, that
Wattling street was builded by one Wattle from the east vnto the west.
But how weake their coniectures are in this behalfe, the antiquitie of
these streets it selfe shall easilie declare, whereof some parcelles,
after a sort, are also set downe by Antoninus; and those that haue
written of the seuerall iournies from hence to Rome: although
peraduenture not in so direct an order as they were at the first
established. For my part, if it were not that I desire to be short in
this behalfe, I could with such notes as I haue alreadie collected for
that purpose, make a large confutation of diuerse of their opinions
concerning these passages, and thereby rather ascribe the originall of
these waies to the Romans than either the British or Saxon princes.
But sith I haue spent more time in the tractation of the riuers than
was allotted vnto me, and that I sée great cause (notwithstanding my
late alledged scruple) wherfore I should hold with our Galfride before
anie other; I will omit at this time to discourse of these things as I
would, and saie what I maie for the better knowledge of their courses,
procéeding therein as followeth.
First of all I find, that Dunwallon king of Britaine, about 483 yeares
before the birth of our sauiour Iesus Christ, séeing the subiects of
his realme to be in sundrie wise oppressed by théeues and robbers as
they trauelled to and fro; and being willing (so much as in him laie)
to redresse these inconueniences, caused his whole kingdome to be
surueied; and then commanding foure principall waies to be made, which
should leade such as trauelled into all parts thereof, from sea to
sea, he gaue sundrie large priuileges vnto the same, whereby they
became safe, and verie much frequented. And as he had regard herein to
the securitie of his subiects, so he made sharpe lawes grounded vpon
iustice, for the suppression of such wicked members as did offer
violence to anie traueler that should be met withall or found within
the limits of those passages. How and by what parts of this Iland
these waies were conueied at the first, it is not so wholie left in
memorie: but that some question is mooued among the learned,
concerning their ancient courses. Howbeit such is the shadow remaining
hitherto of their extensions, that if not at this present perfectlie,
yet hereafter it is not vnpossible, but that they may be found out, &
left certeine vnto posteritie. It seemeth by Galfride, that the said
Dunwallon did limit out those waies by dooles and markes, which being
in short time altered by the auarice of such irreligious persons as
dwelt néere, and incroched vpon the same (a fault yet iustlie to be
found almost in euerie place, euen in the time of our most gratious
and souereigne Ladie Elizabeth, wherein the lords of the soiles doo
vnite their small occupieng, onelie to increase a greater proportion
of rent; and therefore they either remooue, or giue licence to erect
small tenements vpon the high waies sides and commons; wherevnto, in
truth, they haue no right: and yet out of them also doo raise a new
commoditie) and question mooued for their bounds before Belinus his
sonne, he to auoid all further controuersie that might from
thencefoorth insue, caused the same to be paued with hard stone of
eightéene foot in breadth, ten foot in depth, and in the bottome
thereof huge flint stones also to be pitched, least the earth in time
should swallow vp his workemanship, and the higher ground ouer-grow
their rising crests. He indued them also with larger priuileges than
before, protesting that if anie man whosoeuer should presume to
infringe his peace, and violate the lawes of his kingdome in anie
maner of wise, neere vnto or vpon those waies, he should suffer such
punishment without all hope to escape (by freendship or mercie) as by
the statutes of this realme latelie prouided in those cases were due
vnto the offendors. The names of these foure waies are the Fosse, the
Gwethelin or Watling, the Erming, and the Ikenild.
[Sidenote: Fosse.]
The Fosse goeth not directlie but slopewise ouer the greatest part of
this Iland, beginning at Dotnesse or Totnesse in Deuonshire, where
Brute somtime landed, or (as Ranulphus saith, which is more likelie)
at the point of Cornwall, though the eldest writers doo séeme to note
the contrarie. From hence it goeth thorough the middle of Deuonshire &
Summersetshire, and commeth to Bristow, from whence it runneth
manifestlie to Sudberie market, Tetburie, and so foorth holdeth on as
you go almost to the midde waie betweene Glocester and Cirnecester,
(where the wood faileth, and the champeigne countrie appeareth toward
Cotteswald) streight as a line vntill you come to Cirnecester it
selfe. Some hold opinion that the waie, which lieth from Cirnecester
to Bath, should be the verie Fosse; and that betwixt Cirnecester and
Glocester to be another of the foure waies, made by the Britons. But
ancient report grounded vpon great likelihood, and confirmed also by
some experience, iudgeth that most of the waies crossed ech other in
this part of the realme. And of this mind is Leland also, who learned
it of an abbat of Cirnecester that shewed great likelihood by some
records thereof. But to procéed. From Cirnecester, it goeth by
Chepingnorton to Couentrie, Leircester, Newarke, and so to Lincolne
ouerthwart the Watlingstreet: where, by generall consent of all the
writers (except Alfred of Beuerleie, who extendeth it vnto Cathnesse
in Scotland) it is said to haue an end.
[Sidenote: Watling stréet.]
The Watlingstréete begun (as I said) by Dunwallo, but finished by
Gutheline, of whome it is directlie to be called Gutheline stréet,
though now corrupted into Watlingstréet, beginneth at Douer in Kent,
and so stretcheth through the middest of Kent vnto London, and so
foorth (peraduenture by the middest of the citie) vnto Verolamium or
Verlamcester, now saint Albons, where, in the yeare of grace, one
thousand fiue hundred thirtie & one, the course thereof was found by a
man that digged for grauell wherwith to mend the high waie. It was in
this place eighteene foot broad, and about ten foot déepe, and stoned
in the bottome in such wise as I haue noted afore, and peraduenture
also on the top: but these are gone, and the rest remaine equall in
most places, and leuell with the fields. The yelow grauell also that
was brought thither in carts two thousand yéeres passed, remained
there so fresh and so strong, as if it had béene digged out of the
naturall place where it grew not manie yéeres before. From hence it
goeth hard by Margate, leauing it on the west side. And a little by
south of this place, where the priorie stood, is a long thorough fare
vpon the said street, méetly well builded (for low housing) on both
sides. After this it procéedeth (as the chronicle of Barnwell saith)
to Caxton, and so to Huntingdon, & then forward, still winding in and
out till it not onelie becommeth a bound vnto Leicestershire toward
Lugbie, but also passeth from Castleford to Stamford, and so foorth by
west of Marton, which is but a mile from Torkeseie.
Here by the waie I must touch the opinion of a traueller of my time,
who noteth the said stréet to go another waie, insomuch that he would
haue it to crosse the third Auon, betwixt Newton and Dowbridge, and so
go on to Binford bridge, Wibtoft, the High crosse, and thence to
Atherston vpon Ancre. Certes it may be, that the Fosse had his course
by the countrie in such sort as he describeth; but that the
Watlingstréet should passe by Atherston, I cannot as yet be persuaded.
Neuerthelesse his coniecture is not to be misliked, sith it is not
vnlikelie that thrée seuerall waies might méet at Alderwaie (a towne
vpon Tame, beneath Salters bridge) for I doo not doubt that the said
towne did take his name of all three waies, as Aldermarie church in
London did of all thrée Maries, vnto whom it hath béene dedicated: but
that the Watlingstréet should be one of them, the compasse of his
passage will in no wise permit. And thus much haue I thought good to
note by the waie. Now to returne againe to Leland, and other mens
collections.
The next tidings that we heare of the Watlingstréet, are that it goeth
thorough or neere by the parke at Pomfret, as the common voice also of
the countrie confirmeth. Thence it passeth hastilie ouer Castelford
bridge to Aberford, which is fiue miles from thence, and where are
most manifest tokens of this stréet and his broad crest by a great
waie togither, also to Yorke, to Witherbie, and then to Borowbridge,
where on the left hand thereof stood certeine monuments, or pyramides
of stone, sometimes placed there by the ancient Romanes. These stones
(saith Leland) stand eight miles west from Bowis, and almost west from
Richmond is a little thorough fare called Maiden castell, situate
apparantlie vpon the side of this stréet. And here is one of those
pyramides or great round heapes, which is three score foot compasse in
the bottome. There are other also of lesse quantities, and on the
verie top of ech of them are sharpe stones of a yard in length; but
the greatest of all is eighteene foot high at the least, from the
ground to the verie head. He addeth moreouer, how they stand on an
hill in the edge of Stanes moore, and are as bounds betwéene
Richmondshire, and Westmerland. But to procéed. This stréet lieng a
mile from Gilling, and two miles from Richmond commeth on from
Borowbridge to Catericke, eightéene miles; that is, twelue to Leuing,
& six to Catericke; then eleuen miles to Greteie or Gritto, fiue miles
to Bottles, eight miles to Burgh on Stanes moore, foure miles from
Applebie, and fiue to Browham, where the said stréet commeth thorough
Winfoll parke, and ouer the bridge on Eiemouth and Loder, and leauing
Perith a quarter of a mile or more on the west side of it, goeth to
Carleill seuenteene miles from Browham, which hath béene some notable
thing. Hitherto it appeareth euidentlie, but going from hence into
Scotland, I heare no more of it, vntill I come to Cathnesse, which is
two hundred and thirtie miles or thereabouts out of England.
[Sidenote: Erming stréet.]
The Erming stréet, which some call the Lelme, stretcheth out of the
east, as they saie, into the southeast, that is, from Meneuia or S.
Dauids in Wales vnto Southampton, whereby it is somewhat likelie
indeed that these two waies, I meane the Fosse and the Erming, should
méet about Cirnecester, as it commeth from Glocester, according to the
opinion conceiued of them in that countrie. Of this waie I find no
more written, and therefore I can saie no more of it, except I should
indeuor to driue awaie the time, in alleging what other men say
thereof, whose minds doo so farre disagrée one from another, as they
doo all from a truth, and therefore I giue them ouer as not delighting
in such dealing.
[Sidenote: Ikenild.]
The Ikenild or Rikenild began somewhere in the south, and so held on
toward Cirnecester, then to Worcester, Wicombe, Brimcham, Lichfield,
Darbie, Chesterfield; and crossing the Watlingstréet somewhere in
Yorkeshire, stretched foorth in the end vnto the mouth of the Tine,
where it ended at the maine sea, as most men doo confesse. I take it
to be called the Ikenild, because it passed thorough the kingdome of
the Icenes. For albeit that Leland & other following him doo séeme to
place the Icenes in Norffolke and Suffolke; yet in mine opinion that
can not well be doone, sith it is manifest by Tacitus, that they laie
néere vnto the Silures, and (as I gesse) either in Stafford and
Worcester shires, or in both, except my coniecture doo faile me. The
author of the booke, intituled Eulogium historiarum, doth call this
stréet the Lelme. But as herein he is deceiued, so haue I dealt
withall so faithfullie as I may among such diuersitie of opinions; yet
not denieng but that there is much confusion in the names and courses
of these two latter, the discussing whereof I must leaue to other men
that are better learned than I.
Now to speake generallie of our common high waies through the English
part of the Ile (for of the rest I can saie nothing) you shall
vnderstand that in the claie or cledgie soile they are often verie
déepe and troublesome in the winter halfe. Wherfore by authoritie of
parlement an order is taken for their yearelie amendment, whereby all
sorts of the common people doo imploie their trauell for six daies in
summer vpon the same. And albeit that the intent of the statute is
verie profitable for the reparations of the decaied places, yet the
rich doo so cancell their portions, and the poore so loiter in their
labours, that of all the six, scarcelie two good days works are well
performed and accomplished in a parish on these so necessarie
affaires. Besides this, such as haue land lieng vpon the sides of the
waies, doo vtterlie neglect to dich and scowre their draines and
watercourses, for better auoidance of the winter waters (except it may
be set off or cut from the meaning of the statute) whereby the stréets
doo grow to be much more gulled than before, and thereby verie noisome
for such as trauell by the same. Sometimes also, and that verie often,
these daies works are not imploied vpon those waies that lead from
market to market, but ech surueior amendeth such by-plots & lanes as
séeme best for his owne commoditie, and more easie passage vnto his
fields and pastures. And whereas in some places there is such want of
stones, as thereby the inhabitants are driuen to seeke them farre off
in other soiles: the owners of the lands wherein those stones are to
be had, and which hitherto haue giuen monie to haue them borne awaie,
doo now reape no small commoditie by raising the same to excessiue
prices, whereby their neighbours are driuen to grieuous charges, which
is another cause wherefore the meaning of that good law is verie much
defrauded. Finallie, this is another thing likewise to be considered
of, that the trées and bushes growing by the stréets sides; doo not a
little keepe off the force of the sunne in summer for drieng vp of the
lanes. Wherefore if order were taken that their boughs should
continuallie be kept short, and the bushes not suffered to spread so
far into the narrow paths, that inconuenience would also be remedied,
and manie a slough proue hard ground that yet is déepe and hollow. Of
the dailie incroaching of the couetous vpon the hie waies I speake
not. But this I know by experience, that wheras some stréets within
these fiue and twentie yeares haue béene in most places fiftie foot
broad according to the law, whereby the traueller might either escape
the théefe or shift the mier, or passe by the loaden cart without
danger of himselfe and his horsse; now they are brought vnto twelue,
or twentie, or six and twentie at the most, which is another cause
also whereby the waies be the worse, and manie an honest man encombred
in his iourneie. But what speake I of these things whereof I doo not
thinke to heare a iust redresse, because the error is so common, and
the benefit thereby so swéet and profitable to manie, by such houses
and cotages as are raised vpon the same.