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Papers by Robert Entwistle

Itinera, 2023

The role of London’s roads in the origins of the city has received little attention, yet they are... more The role of London’s roads in the origins of the city has received little attention, yet they are part of the evidence for London’s establishment and growth. This paper examines the roads that were fundamental to the new town, with particular focus on the eight radial roads. Each adopts a long
alignment directed towards a strategic destination, a matter usually regarded as of passing interest only. Here, however, it is argued that these alignments should be considered as artefacts in their own right, revealing coordination and planning indicative of early Roman intentions for London soon after the Invasion.

Although the straight lines of Roman roads have often led to use of the term 'Roman alignments', ... more Although the straight lines of Roman roads have often led to use of the term 'Roman alignments', the recent recognition that Long-distance Roman Alignments were actually physical entities raises the questions: what were they, how can they be identified, and what purposes did they serve? Drawing upon examples discovered by the author or with the identification of which he had been involved, this article sets out to answer those questions. It also suggests that such alignments may have been a feature of the early periods of the Roman conquest of Britain, and that their relevance may have subsided as the Romans became more familiar with the territory they had acquired. It should be noted that this article presents a personal view, and that in a small number of cases, Rob Entwistle, with whom the author has worked closely on this subject, might possess views which differ slightly in emphasis or detail, but this is normal in fields of scholarship in which there are no simple yes/no answers. THE QUESTIONS reviously, many scholars have postulated that the Romans set out and followed long straight alignments in their planning of the province of Britannia. However, it may be that it was Rob Entwistle and this author who, initially working quite independently, first revealed the physical existence of such Long-distance Roman Alignments in Britain, and systematically began to diagnose their possible purposes. Some of these Long-distance Alignments were found to extend for considerable distances. The Long-distance Roman Alignment from London to Chichester, for instance, stretches for some 55 miles (88 km) across the Sussex Downs, whilst the Long-distance Alignment from Leicester to Cirencester possessed a length of more than 73 miles (116.8 km). Our pathways to these discoveries had been slightly but fruitfully different, so leading to the questions: what was a Long-distance Roman Alignment, how can one be identified, and what purposes might they have served? This article is an attempt to answer these questions.

Itinera, 2022

The paper makes a case for the Roman Conquest of Southeast Britain being a relatively peaceful af... more The paper makes a case for the Roman Conquest of Southeast Britain being a relatively peaceful affair in many areas, with major hostilities focused principally against the Catuvellauni. It interprets a set of Long-distance alignments (identified from Roman roads) as administrative in nature, reflecting aspects of early Roman governance, and suggests re-interpreting the celebrated inscription of the arch of Claudius, recording the invasion. The argument assumes knowledge of John Poulter's paper in the same volume of Itinera, which examines the range of identified Long-distance Roman alignments..

Itinera, 2021

The Roman roads around Cirencester, as Margary observed, provide a remarkable case-study in deduc... more The Roman roads around Cirencester, as Margary observed, provide a remarkable case-study in deducing the order in which roads serving the town came to be built. Rob Entwistle builds upon Margary's study in the light of recent knowledge of long-distance alignments, suggesting an interplay of surveying and road construction over a period of time.

Current Archaeology, 2016

Itinera, 2023

The role of London’s roads in the origins of the city has received little attention, yet they are... more The role of London’s roads in the origins of the city has received little attention, yet they are part of the evidence for London’s establishment and growth. This paper examines the roads that were fundamental to the new town, with particular focus on the eight radial roads. Each adopts a long
alignment directed towards a strategic destination, a matter usually regarded as of passing interest only. Here, however, it is argued that these alignments should be considered as artefacts in their own right, revealing coordination and planning indicative of early Roman intentions for London soon after the Invasion.

Although the straight lines of Roman roads have often led to use of the term 'Roman alignments', ... more Although the straight lines of Roman roads have often led to use of the term 'Roman alignments', the recent recognition that Long-distance Roman Alignments were actually physical entities raises the questions: what were they, how can they be identified, and what purposes did they serve? Drawing upon examples discovered by the author or with the identification of which he had been involved, this article sets out to answer those questions. It also suggests that such alignments may have been a feature of the early periods of the Roman conquest of Britain, and that their relevance may have subsided as the Romans became more familiar with the territory they had acquired. It should be noted that this article presents a personal view, and that in a small number of cases, Rob Entwistle, with whom the author has worked closely on this subject, might possess views which differ slightly in emphasis or detail, but this is normal in fields of scholarship in which there are no simple yes/no answers. THE QUESTIONS reviously, many scholars have postulated that the Romans set out and followed long straight alignments in their planning of the province of Britannia. However, it may be that it was Rob Entwistle and this author who, initially working quite independently, first revealed the physical existence of such Long-distance Roman Alignments in Britain, and systematically began to diagnose their possible purposes. Some of these Long-distance Alignments were found to extend for considerable distances. The Long-distance Roman Alignment from London to Chichester, for instance, stretches for some 55 miles (88 km) across the Sussex Downs, whilst the Long-distance Alignment from Leicester to Cirencester possessed a length of more than 73 miles (116.8 km). Our pathways to these discoveries had been slightly but fruitfully different, so leading to the questions: what was a Long-distance Roman Alignment, how can one be identified, and what purposes might they have served? This article is an attempt to answer these questions.

Itinera, 2022

The paper makes a case for the Roman Conquest of Southeast Britain being a relatively peaceful af... more The paper makes a case for the Roman Conquest of Southeast Britain being a relatively peaceful affair in many areas, with major hostilities focused principally against the Catuvellauni. It interprets a set of Long-distance alignments (identified from Roman roads) as administrative in nature, reflecting aspects of early Roman governance, and suggests re-interpreting the celebrated inscription of the arch of Claudius, recording the invasion. The argument assumes knowledge of John Poulter's paper in the same volume of Itinera, which examines the range of identified Long-distance Roman alignments..

Itinera, 2021

The Roman roads around Cirencester, as Margary observed, provide a remarkable case-study in deduc... more The Roman roads around Cirencester, as Margary observed, provide a remarkable case-study in deducing the order in which roads serving the town came to be built. Rob Entwistle builds upon Margary's study in the light of recent knowledge of long-distance alignments, suggesting an interplay of surveying and road construction over a period of time.

Current Archaeology, 2016