NOTE ON A ROMAN ROAD. 151 



estimation of the Romans, and it will be a matter for considera- 

 tion whether it has not a better claim to be the Vindogladia of 

 Iter xv. of the Antoninus' Itinerary rather than Gussage Cowdown, 

 to which Stukely and others refer it. There has been a long stand- 

 ing controversy upon this Iter, which commenced before Stukely's 

 time, arising from the discrepancy between the stated and actual 

 distances between Old Sarum and Dorchester. The Iter makes the 

 distance 20 Roman miles, whereas it is 40 miles as the crow flies 

 or 43J Roman miles by the Via Iceniana, the route supposed to be 

 referred to in the Iter. Its course is nearly in a straight line 

 from Old Saruni to Badbury Camp, where it makes a bend, 

 crosses the Stour near the church at Shapwick, and on to Dor- 

 chester, through Aimer, Winterbourne Kingston, and Tolpiddle. 

 Stukely was the first to suggest the omission of a station between 

 Vindogladia and Dorchester through the carelessness of the copyist, 

 and proposed the intercalation of Ibernum, a place referred to by 

 the Anonymous Geographer of Ravenna in his list of towns and 

 strongholds of Britain, and coming closely after Vindogladia. As 

 the names in his list do not always follow each other in 

 relative order, and some important names are altogether omitted, 

 no dependence can be placed on him as an authority, and leaves 

 Vindogladia's geographical relation to Ibernum uncertain. Although 

 some eminent antiquaries agree with Stukely in the possible 

 omission of a station, and that one has accidentally dropped out 

 from the road-book, many differ from him in determining 

 the site of Ibernum. Stukely places it at Bere Regis, Mr. 

 Warne at Winterbourne Kingston, and Mr. Barnes at Iwerne, 

 which philologically seems to connect itself with the Ravenna 

 geographer's name. The village of Iwerne lies at the base of 

 Hambledon and Hod hills, both originally British camps, and 

 commanded the fords of the Stour, which were of some strategical 

 importance. If Mr. Barnes' opinion that Ibernum is the modern 

 Iwerne is adopted, we are driven to the conclusion that it had no 

 relation with the Via Iceniana, to which thelter is supposed to refer. 

 If, again, Dr. Stukely's opinion is adopted it requires not only 



