Monument record 0403100000 - VIATORES ROAD 174

Dimensions - Length 0021 km
Plan Form - LINEAR
Thornborough Bridge - Stoke Goldington. Evidence of Road 174 first became apparent in Bourton Grounds, south west of Thornborough Bridge at SP 720 329. Here a hedgeline ran part way along it, and in deep ditch-cutting by power-shovel, stone was thrown out onto the side that contained pieces of Roman tile, and sherds of Samian ware. The road was thus oriented from the south-west to to pass under the farm buildings and down to the ford, over which the medieval bridge carries the modern B4034 across a major head stream of the Ouse. Down to this ford from the east side comes also Roman road 166, but with the difference that it steps aside from its alignment to do so, giving the impression that 174 was the older road and this was its crossing, road 166 availing itself of it (B1).
NGR'S DERIVED FROM MAPS & INFORMATION IN B1 (B2).


Possible minor Roman Road recorded by C W Green and I D Margary (B4).
Haversham - Warrington Lodge (Green's 1b). Much stone in the hedge runnning from the road back NE to the pit (if the road side was meant in Green's notes, this is a derelict stone wall, towards Pile's Farm (818 434). SW of Wood farm a fine cambered agger runs right up to the NW side of the farm and beyond to Linford Wood. What could this be but Roman in such a remote spot? N of Gayhurst Wood and N of the present road is a good stone exposure in a ditch. Then an old lane to Stoke Goldington (now blocked at the village end by a new bungalow). Possible stone traces in stream by the recreation ground. At the double kink in Ravenstone Lane (855 504) note the low agger in the S hedge beside the kink, ditched slightly on both sides and very unlike a normal hedgerow. Lane NE of Olney Park Farm is not at all convincing and fields west of this are very stony all over (B5).
Road possibly from Ircester to Alcester surveyed so far from Warrington Lodge, Olney, to Lenborough Farm. Modern roads use some of it from Beachampton downwards. It is not obscured and its temporary break into the NS road is natural (B6).
Perambulation of the supposed Roman road from SP 830 450 to SP 837 484 revealed no trace. Deep drainage in Linford and Gayhurst Woods over a period of 20 years has failed to produce any evidence of a road surface (B7).
Excavations at Thornborough Bridge in 1972 (see SP 73 SW 7) revealed a section of agger from SP 7289 3315 to SP 7299 3313, which may relate to the course of RR 174 (B8).
SP 73 NE, SP 83 NW and SP 84 SW, SP 73 NW. Although the route through these sheets is topographically viable no ground evidence was found to support it. Alignment is largely modern detail, taking advantage of known areas of Roman finds (B9).

This record includes National Record of the Historic Environment Information provided by Historic England on 4 June 2025 licensed under the Open Government Licence.