1G9 



"Refer to a good county map, and look at the tnnipike road from 

 Leominster to Bromyard. At three mUes and a half from Leominster you will 

 see a road running north and south. At the point of junction is a house 

 called The Tnimpet. To begin with the northern portion, you will see that it 

 iTins through Stretford to Cwmfort, where there was formerly a fortress, to 

 Caer-Ehos (now corrupted into Croose), thence by Stockton, Ashton, and finaUy 

 it either went by way of Croft to Wigmore, or it feU into the Roman Portway 

 running east and west near Orleton to Wigmore. I am disposed to think that 

 this was an old Roman road, formed probably on a British trackway. 



" Returning again to The Tnimpet, on the Leominster and Bromyard 

 road, the cross road runs south, and from The Trumpet for some distance it 

 bears the name of Blackwardine Lane. Many years ago an old man, Uving at 

 one of two cottages now caUed Blackwardine, pointed out to me a spot behind 

 his house where he said was formerly a town called Blackwardine, and that in 

 ploughing about that part curious implements and pottery, unlike English, used 

 often to be found. 



"Of this town or settlement there is now no vestige, but I am disposed 

 (and always was) to think it had been a Roman station. In the first place I 

 believe the whole of Blackwardine lane was a Roman road, and that it led from 

 Stretton Grandison to Enghind's Gate, thence by Bowley Lauo, Black-caer-dun, 

 Stretford, to Croft or Orleton as above. 



"It runs close under the Great British camp at Risbiu-y, still nearly 

 perfect. The word Stretford alone would indicate this, and the position of 

 Black-caer-dun would enable Ostorius to pass to Wigmore by the route I have 

 pointed out above, viz., Stretford, Cwmfort, Caer-Rhos, Stockton, &c." 



This extract shows that Mr. Cherry's opinion was that tho road in 

 question was originally a British trackway, and afterwards served the purposes 

 of the Roman invaders in their movements from one station to another. A 

 theory which we shall see was highly probable. 



From Ashton, near Orleton, to Bodenham Moor, a distance of ten or 

 twelve miles, this road is identical with that alluded to by I\Ir. Edmunds in his 

 paper on Eisbury Camp ; but that gentleman's theory is that this road continued 

 in a direct line northward from Ashton to Cainham and Ludlow, and southward 

 from Bodenham to Shelwick-gate, where he supposes it joined the well-known 

 Roman road which to this day for a distance of about four miles forms the 

 northern boundry of the city of Hereford. Mr. Cherry's supposition was that 

 from Ashton this.road branched off to Bravinium, near Leintwardine, and from 

 Bodenham to Circutio, at Stretton Grandison. 



It is an interesting feature in connection with the early history of any 

 district to be able to establish by traditional and physical evidence any new 

 theory; but where there is little affirmative, and on the other hand strong 

 negative testimony to contend -n-ith, the difficulties increase, which is just the 



