AN ACCOUNT OF A ROMAN PUBLIC WAY. 535 
Trafford; and, he then brings it back over the 
Water Meadows, from Old Trafford to Hodge 
Lane. In the History of Manchester, book I, 
chap. 4, sec. 3, he says, “ The road to Coccium, 
“or Blackrode, actually began with the way to 
‘“« Kinderton, and proceeded with it for more than 
“a mile. ‘Taking the same course to Throstle 
‘‘ Nest, it there turned away to the right, and 
“forded the Irwell at the shallow, which gave 
“denomination to Old Trafford. And, having 
‘passed the channel of the river, it then took 
“its proper direction, and first pointed towards 
“the Station at Blackrode. It ranged over the 
“‘ Eyes, or Water Meadows, mounted the little 
“heights, crossed the high road to Warrington, 
“and joined the present plain and continued 
“remains near Hope Hall. But in all this 
“course, from the river to the Hall, the Road is 
“‘ wholly invisible.” On looking at this line of 
road, there never seemed to be any sufficient 
reason for supposing, that the Roman Road should 
go round by Old Trafford, instead of going 
directly across the Irwell, at Woden’s Ford. 
But, there appeared to be great difficulty in 
proving, or disproving, this opinion, on account of 
the numerous buildings, and gardens, and the 
high state of cultivation of the ground near 
