Roman Road Winchester to Chichester

Triple Terraces North of Preshaw House

In Survey Map 6 two routes, which may not have been in use at the same time, left its SE corner. They enter Survey Map 7 below at its NW corner - the modern lane and the bright thin air photo light line meet. The combined route passes along the north edge of Millbarrow Plantations, where the Sketch Section shows triple terraces. This was one of the first places that it was realised that the modern lane must also be Roman - the well preserved terrace in the wood to the south having previously been recognised.

Survey Map 7, OS Hants Sheet 51 SW, 6" : 1 mile 3rd edition 1908. 1000 foot scale is shown in the SW corner.

Air photo streaks are seen on www.bing.com 2011 [70% contrast, oblique into desk light, weak or powerful magnifier]. This light line comes out of the foliage of the modern lane, which can be identified with one line of formerly pollard trees, as shown as AP on the Sketch Section. It goes across the field to link with the long line of field boundaries on Survey Map 6. As seen in the Sketch Section, AP coincides with the northern edge of the 40' terrace (the black marking the position of the modern tarred lane). This light line is very thin and is likely to be from revetments at the edge of the 40' terrace. Another light line is visible to the south, but is difficult to place. The 24' terrace in the wood has in places a bump on its downhill edge as shown on the Sketch Section - which is also likely to result from a revetment. There is a third lower terrace below the modern lane - between remains of pollard trees - this may have been the lane in use previously.

This same light line continues eastward to where triple terraces are seen again near the entrance to Preshaw House [normal 50% contrast , oblique into desk light, powerful magnifier]. The black triangles show the small cut-back or edge of the small southern terrace, the rest of the detail is in the Sketch Section. This southern terrace was first recognised as beside the modern route, but the modern lane is on the wide 40' terrace, with the small terrace below it but within the boundary of the lane. It is in varying degrees of preservation - it develops a hollow way in places, and may have been the lane in use in earlier times. It carries a parish boundary on its downhill edge.

The modern lane turns towards the north at the edge of Survey Map 7, but the Roman Road is likely to continue slightly south of west to pick up the Parish boundary running through Wind Farm on Survey Map 8. The small terrace in the wood turns into an Agger Terrace and becomes weaker.

Principal Surveyors
Donald Ashdown, Jerry Revell, Philip Rowbotham. Richard Whaley

REFERENCES
Survey 1 & map symbols, NEHHAS FAB e News 6 Winter 2013, http://www.nehhas.org.uk/rrch1.htm
Survey 6, FAB e News 7, http://www.nehhas.org.uk/rrch6.htm
Introduction to the Chichester Roman Road, FAB e News 5 Autumn 2012 http://www.nehhas.org.uk/rrch12-9.htm