348 



described, but the place where they divided cannot have been 

 Wells, for the Koman road from Bath to Ilchester passes to the 

 east of Shepton Mallet and never enters "Wells at all. I would 

 offer it as a suggestion only, whether the Exeter road may not 

 have left the Ilchester road about Oakhill, its course being over 

 the Old Sarum road as far as Maesbury and thence to Wells. 



DESCRIPTION OF THE FOSSE ROAD AS SEEN AT RADSTOCK, 

 AND GENERAL STRUCTURE OF ROIVIAN ROADS. 



Tlip general appearance of the Fosse Eoad at Eadstock is very 

 striking, and to those who did not accompany the excursion of 

 last year it will well repay a visit, but after several attempts 

 I have failed in obtaining a photograph giving a good general 

 view to accompany these notes. The land on each side being 

 perfectly level for some distance, the road rises boldly above it in 

 a prominent ridge flanked by a deep ditch on either side, the 

 whole being bounded by hedgeroAvs of by no means recent date, 

 although modern probably compared with the ancient structure 

 which they enclose. 



The most interesting feature presented is the fonnation of the 

 road itself as exposed in the section excavated on the day of the 

 Society's visit, showing an extraordinary amount of care and 

 skill. It may be useful in the first instance however to notice 

 the general structure of Roman roads, and I have been indebted 

 to Mr. Allan GreenweU, of Marlborough, for the following 

 information chiefly derived from Vitruvius : — 



" The Eomans began the construction of roads by making two parallel 

 furrows the intended width of the road, and then removed all the 

 loose earth between them till they came to the hard, solid ground, and 

 they filled in this excavation with fine earth, hard beaten in. This 

 first layer was called the pavimentum. Upon it was laid the first bed 

 of the road, consisting of small square stones, nicely ranged on the 

 ground, which was sometimes left dry, but often a large quantity of 

 fresh mortar was poured into it. This layer was called statumen. The 



