Richard Field on the Roman road found on the pipeline's route
Posted on 06/18/2007 10:19:42 AM PDT by SunkenCiv
The historic roadway was discovered in the Brecon Beacons, on the path of the 190-mile (320km) National Grid pipe from Milford Haven to Gloucestershire. Neil Fairburn, archaeology project manager for National Grid, said the road was found as digging began, but the pipe would still have to cross it... Mr Fairburn said the road, which he estimated as dating from the 1st Century AD, was in "a better condition than we would normally find a Roman road", but a 3m section of it would be lost. "It was in an area where we thought there might be a Roman road, it's in close proximity to the Roman fort," he said. "It is typical of Roman roads, it's one of those that link mid Wales, between the forts of Carmarthen and Llandeilo, through Brecon. It gives us the opportunity to look at the construction process in the Roman period. In places, you can see where the carts have pressed down on the stone." ... "It's incredible. It's only about 18ins below the surface," he said. "This road runs alongside the camp and must link up from a road coming from the camp. It doesn't point directly at the camp. We used to play the village cricket match on this field. We'd sit on a slightly raised area to get a better view and didn't realise we were sitting on the causeway of a Roman road."
(Excerpt) Read more at news.bbc.co.uk ...
Richard Field on the Roman road found on the pipeline's route
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Had to refuel those chariots somehow.
Roman roads are amazing and they form the base of mny of the super highways in England. That is why their pavement does not crack and peel, according to my hubby — the resident engineer.
In Wisconsin, the roads do not last even a season — constant repairs, constant delays, constant money, constant wear and tear on our cars and our psyches. I wish that we could learn to build roads as good as the Romans.
Are you saying that it doesn’t freeze in England?
Here, in Wisconsin, they use the poorest (I won’t say cheapest, because none of it is cheap) materials possible. The DOT doesn’t care when the roads crack and peel because it just means more work and more $$$ for them. There is no interest at the higher state govt. levels in producing a durable road.
I should have mentioned the major freeway in Milwaukee a couple of years ago that fractured into huge peeling & dangerous pieces the year it was built!
Know why american gage railroads are the size they are? ;)
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