This is an exposed section of the London–Lewes Roman road southeast of Holtye Common in East Sussex, preserved and displayed in situ by the Sussex Archaeological Society. The road was built in the mid-1st century AD, probably soon after the Claudian conquest, and remained in use into the later Roman period, primarily to serve the Wealden iron industry.
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
The Holtye section is significant as one of the few places in Britain where a Roman road surface is permanently exposed to view, and it illustrates the dense road network constructed across the Weald to move iron from the bloomeries of the High Weald northwards toward London and the Thames. Its surface, metalled with iron slag from the local smelting industry, directly demonstrates the link between the road system and the Wealden iron economy.
Excavations by Ivan Margary in 1939 revealed a road c. 6m wide with a cambered surface of compacted iron slag (cinder), with wheel ruts still visible cut into the surface, indicating sustained vehicle traffic. Coin and pottery evidence from associated sections of the London–Lewes route suggest activity concentrated in the 1st to 3rd centuries AD, consistent with the floruit of Wealden ironworking.
This is an exposed section of the London–Lewes Roman road southeast of Holtye Common in East Sussex, preserved and displayed in situ by the Sussex Archaeological Society. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a site site from the Roman period in Britain.
Section of Roman road 270yds (250m) in length SE of Holtye Common is classified as a Roman site — a civilian site in the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer. Roman Britain's archaeology encompasses thousands of sites ranging from legionary fortresses and marching camps to villas, temples and towns.
Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Far Blacklands Romano-British Iron Bloomery, 580m NNW of Great Cansiron Farm (1.5 km), Hillfort, Roman villa and iron works on Garden Hill (7.1 km), Romano-British bloomery in Pippingford Park, 775m north-east of Pippingford House (7.8 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.
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Research the area around Section of Roman road 270yds (250m) in length SE of Holtye Common