This ancient road is (possibly) part of the route between Manchester and Ilkley.
Locally it passed through
The road is on the English Heritage Buildings at Risk Register
Thomas Codrington's book Roman Roads in Britain [1903], says
About three miles beyond Marsden, a parish boundary follows bits of an old road along the north of the present road to Brighouse for a mile and a half, past Slack to Outlane. The present road continues on in the same line, followed for a mile by the parish boundary, and here, on Lindley Moor, the ridge was formerly visible for a mile, raised considerably above the adjoining ground, and about 12 yards wide. It has been supposed that a Roman road went onwards through Rastrick, Brighouse, and Cleckheaton in the direction of Leeds and York. There seems to be little or no evidence of a road in that direction, and it may have gone to Woodlesford as Warburton shows it on his map.At Rastrick, a Roman road joins the section which branches from the road from Manchester over Blackstone Edge near Ripponden. From Rastrick westward, the course is followed by the present road by Elland Lower Edge, through Elland to Greetland, and Greetland Wall Nook to Ripponden Bank. The old road descends by a direct course to Ripponden, and continues on by Old Lane to the Manchester and Ilkley road at Westgate Head. Traces of the paving are to be seen in various parts, and it was taken up in Old Lane about the middle of the last century.
From Slack, a Roman road has been traced due north by Sowood Green and Stainland, over Greetland Moor from near Turbury, across the river Calder at Sterne Mill, over Skircoat Moor, passing on the west of Halifax to Illingworth, and by St John's to Causeway Foot and Causeway Top. At the last named place the straight line of road from Illingworth northward to beyond Denholm is joined at an angle of about 45 deg by the road from Manchester by Blackstone Edge. At Hill Top near St John's a portion of the road Roman way a quarter of a mile long remained in situ not many years ago, paved with boulders, 20 feet wide, and with ditches at the sides. The road from Blackstone Edge has been supposed to follow the straight line northward from Illingworth, instead of the course which will presently be described.
Slack has been supposed to be the site of Cambodunum in Iter II of Antonine, 18 M.P. (milia passuum) from Mancunium. It is more than 20 miles from Manchester, and as the Itinerary distance from Calcaria to Mancunium is 10 miles less than the actual distance in a direct line, the intermediate station could not be fixed by measuring from either place, if we knew which road Iter II follows. It may be by Slack, or by Elland, or by Adel and Sowerby
|
||
| search engine by freefind |
©
Malcolm Bull 2017 /
[email protected]
Revised 14:08 on 8th May 2017 / mmb2607 / 7
