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Bath through the North Gate which stood at the end of the 
ypresent Northgate Street. Bath had the usual four gates at the 
compass points, so that opposite this point would be placed the 
‘South Gate. Besides these four there was in the medieval wall 
also a postern. This postern, known as the Ham Gate, led from 
‘the Priory to the Ham meadow. It stood a little eastward of 
-our South Gate. 
The supposition or accepted idea, other than the suggestion 
already quoted, has hitherto been that the Fosse after entering 
by the North Gate and traversing High Street, turned to the right 
-along our Cheap Street and then to the left down our Stall Street 
and so out on the site of our South Gate. Sucharoad as the Fosse, 
a royal highway, ever going straight onward after the known 
Roman plan, could hardly have twisted about in such an unusual 
manner. This latter idea has been produced by the obliteration 
and obstruction caused by the Priory church and grounds, just as 
the former was the result of the usual conviction that the ever 
-present cross roads found in Roman plans must have crossed in 
the centre of the city. This was by no means always the case. 
At Ilchester, on the same Fosse road, it was not so ; at Silchester 
it was‘ not so, as also at Gloucester and other places. By clearing 
the ground of all buildings, by giving up these fancies and con- 
tinuing the Fosse from the North Gate through the City south- 
avard in'the usual straight line, it is brought not to the medieval 
South Gate, but to near about the Ham Gate, which may be 
claimed to have been on part of the site of the larger Roman 
-gate. The position now becomes clearer. When the Priory was 
‘enclosed, the Fosse road was cnt and stopped by its northern 
- ‘boundary, and Stall Street being formed in its place the South Gate 
was moved westward to meet the new street; the site of the 
Roman gate becoming thus private property was utilised as a way to 
the Ham meadow. The line of the Fosse then, entered by the North 
Gate; passed along our High Street, through near the transept 
-of the present church ; on by the site of the Ham Gate and across 
