Nempnett/Regil RR (3) - 31 July 18 >

Nempnett / Regil Roman Road 31. 7.18 (Third visit)

          (for Introduction/rationale see 1st Blog: North Somerset
               Roman Road Project, published 30 December 2018) Martyn and Bev had another look at aspects of the southern portion.

Pic 1. The slight hump in the gateway going right to left

1.           Once more up the track opposite Stephen’s farm and just south of the Nempnett church and the cottages.     

A very slight hump could be seen on the track as it crosses the line and cuts  through the hedge line (Pic 1). We walked north along the hedge line. There was a low hump in it but it was very narrow. Thus it might have been a residual field boundary bank or a Roman road agger that had been truncated i.e. narrowed by field encroachment on one or both sides.

Pic 2. 

2. The next spot was where both Pit Lane and the Line cross a stream (Pic 2).

Pic 3. Bird`s eye view of possible abutment

As the hedge row line descends the steep hill from Plaster Green, it turns slightly south just before the stream to meet it at right angles. Roman roads generally cross watercourses at right angles and if necessary, i.e. if approaching obliquely, turn to achieve this, turning back on the opposite side to resume the original alignment. In our stream, there appears to be a formation of the bank that resembles a square abutment for a bridge right opposite where the diverted hedge Line from the north reaches the stream (Pic 3). We didn’t investigate this, i.e. by stripping away some of the vegetation. A proper bridge over this small stream on what may be an unimportant road seems unlikely; however a simple clapper type structure could be possible.^[1]

Pic 4

3.  Wapsell. This is a house on the lane from Nempnett

church to Regil. The straight line of hedgerow from the south stops to the south east of Wapsell. Projecting the line of the hedgerows north-east, in a straight line, the course passes close to or through the garden of Wapsell. No trace could be seen.

(a).  The owner of Wapsell sent me a first edition ordnance survey map showing the straight hedge row of the proposed line coming from the south and stopping short of Wapsell , as in the modern ordnance survey map. No new information about the road is evident (Pic 4).

(b).  The owner also pointed out a short stretch of lane to the east of Wapsell (Pic 5), 

Pic 5

Which is continued by tracks and field boundaries in roughly a straight line, stopping a few fields short of Chew Stoke. It is connected to Wapsell  by a footpath right-of-way and so is connected roughly at right angles with the line of the proposed road. I cannot find any record of Roman remains in Chew Stoke  But there is to the north west of the village the Pagans Hill temple complex; the possible route from Wapsell does not point to Pagans Hill but does go in the general direction of the Roman villa south-west of Chew Magna (at Doublehouse Farm on Hollowbrook Lane). Connections to a Roman road are to be expected for both of these known sites.

Amassing more and more circumstantial possibilities about this postulated road does not prove its existence. Sooner or later, better sooner, geophysics or excavation will be helpful. Then we can move on to other possible routes and roads in the North Somerset project area.

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