Itinerarium curiosum (centuria I) : $b or, an account of the antiquities, and remarkable curiosities in nature or art, observed in travels through Great BritainStukeley, William
History
Itinerarium curiosum (centuria I) : $b or, an account of the antiquities, and remarkable curiosities in nature or art, observed in travels through Great Britain
Stukeley, William
Great Britain -- Antiquities -- Early works to 1800; Great Britain -- Description and travel -- Early works to 1800
The imperial Itinerary makes 35 miles between the last station,
_Durocinonte_, and _Durobrivis_;[63] but a decimal too much is put
into the number, for 25 is full enough: it is indeed 25 measured miles
from Huntingdon river to the Nen at Caster: there is no dispute but
Chesterton by Caster is the place. Dornford retains somewhat of the
old name, where the road traversed the river by a bridge (of brass,
the common people say.) At Chesterton on this side is a large tract
of ground, called the Castle field, with a ditch and rampart around
it:[64] the Roman road runs directly through it, and still retains
its high ridge. I observe every where near the fenny country great
precaution and strength employed; which seems owing to the incursions
of the Britons from that part, who, no doubt, retired into these
fastnesses as their last refuge, when the Roman arms shined all around
them: and that reason must induce the Romans very early to think of
draining the country, and rendering it provincial, which was the only
means of preventing that inconvenience. The Hermen-street beyond the
river runs for some space along the side of it upon the meadow, then
turns up with an angle, and proceeds full north. Caster[65] is above
half a mile from it, upon the hill. I espied a bit of the foundation of
the wall of the Roman _castrum_ in the street to the north-west corner
of the church, under the wall of the house where the minister lives:
it is easily known by the vast strength of the mortar, built of the
white slab-stone of the country: this _castrum_ then went round the
church-yard, and took in the whole top of the hill, facing the mid day
sun. Underneath it lay the city; for below the church-yard the ground
is full of foundations and Mosaics: I saw a bit of a pavement in the
cellar of the ale-house (the Boot.)
————_varias ubi picta per artes
Gaudet humus, suberantque novis asarota figuris._ +Stat. Silv.+
[Illustration: 13·2ᵈ. _over the Quire door in Castor chh._
_Prospect of Castor_, Durobrivis. 11. July. 1724._
_Stukeley delin._ _E. Kirkall sculp._]
They know of many such: particularly at Mr. Wright’s, and in the
landlord’s garden, is an intire one untouched. Roman coins are found in
great abundance: I have before me a long and particular catalogue of
many I have seen of all times, from the consular to the later emperors,
in brass and silver, but think it a nauseous formality to print them: a
few I will repeat of the silver.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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