Roman Lincoln

Newport Arch is the remains of a 3rd century Roman gate. The arch was remodelled and enlarged when the city, then Lindum Colonia, became capital of the province Flavia Caesariensis in the 4th century. It is thought to be the only original Roman arch in the world still open to traffic. As the north gate of the city, it carried the major Roman road Ermine Street northward almost in a straight line to the Humber. From Romano-British Buildings and Earthworks by John Ward (1911): “A considerable portion of the north gate of Lincoln — the Newport Arch — is standing, but is buried to the extent of about 8 ft. in the soil and débris accumulated since Roman times. The structure is about 34 ft. deep and has a single passage for the road, 17 1/2 ft. wide. The inner or back portal of this passage is still intact, and is nearly 16 ft. in the clear and rises to a height of about 22 1/2 ft. above the Roman level. Its arch is of a single ring of large limestone voussoirs rising from imposts which appe...

The Fosse Way links Exeter (Isca Dumnoniorum) in South West England to Lincoln (Lindum Colonia) in the East Midlands, via Ilchester (Lindinis), Bath (Aquae Sulis), Cirencester (Corinium) and Leicester (Ratae Corieltauvorum). It joined Akeman Street and Ermin Way at Cirencester, crossed Watling Street at Venonis (High Cross) south of Leicester, and joined Ermine Street at Lincoln. The word Fosse is derived from the Latin fossa, meaning ditch. For the first few decades after the Roman invasion of Britain in AD 43, the Fosse Way marked the western frontier of Roman rule. It is possible that the road began as a defensive ditch that was later filled in and converted into a road, or possibly a defensive ditch ran alongside the road for at least some of its length. The Fosse Way is the only Roman road in Britain to retain its original Latin name. Most others were named by the Saxons, centuries after the Romans left Britain. It is remarkable for its extremely direct route: from Lincoln to Ilch...

Ermine Street is the Anglo-Saxon name of the Roman road that ran from London (Londinium) to Lincoln (Lindum Colonia) and York (Eboracum). It was named after a tribe called the Earningas, who inhabited a district later known as Armingford Hundred, around Arrington, Cambridgeshire and Royston, Hertfordshire. The Anglo-Saxon name was 'Earninga Straete' (1012). 'Armingford', 'Arrington' and 'Ermine Street' are names that share the same Anglo-Saxon origin. It is also known as the Old North Road from London to where it joins the A1 Great North Road near Godmanchester.

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