The Planning of Roman Roads and Walls in Northern Britain

The Roman Empire depended on its roads and walls for trade and security, but before these vast structures were built, their courses would need to have been chosen and their lines set out across the countryside. In the absence of any significant Roman literature on the subject, John Poulter has devised a way of detecting the directions in which Roman surveyors may have been working when setting out their roads and walls in northern Britain. Applying his methodology to Dere Street, Hadrian's Wall and the Antonine Wall, Poulter has unearthed a multitude of surprises which offer us new insights into when, how and why these great structures were built. In addition to these individual studies, Poulter offers comments about Roman roads in general, and compares them with General Wade's Military Roads in Scotland. He also discounts much previous writing about Roman roads as being too uncritical, and introduces an approach to the analysis of archaeological findings which seeks to deliver interpretations that are as objective and as balanced as possible.