Chap. 1.] GENERAL HISTORY. 3 



Eibble, and beyond the Welsh hills, are to be seen to the south ; and 

 almost at your feet is the Eibble — "Lancaster's greatest glory" — 

 flowing through Eibblesdale past many a beauteous and historic spot. 



It is not necessary for me to say anything about the geological 

 formation of the soil, as an authority on the subject, my friend, Mr. 

 F. C. ffing, has kindly undertaken to fuUy deal with it. 



From the information given in the Domesday Book, we gather that 

 the district contained in early times large forests, and that bogs and 

 morasses were very numerous. I am acquainted with a gentleman 

 who saw a man kill one of the last of the wild deer which formerly 

 abounded in the neighbourhood of Longridge. 



The Eomans. 



This is not the place to enter into any description of the state of the 

 couutrj-, or the habits and customs of the people in British or Eoman 

 times. The matter has been fully and ablj' treated in numerous works, 

 to which I refer the reader. 



There are now clear traces and remains to be seen of the Eomau 

 roads and bridle paths in the district ; and Hardwick states that a 

 Celtic stone hammer' was found about 30 or 40 years ago at Longridge. 



In speaking of Eoman roads much confusion will be created unless 

 the following considerations are borne in mind : — 



"The Eomans constructed three kinds of roads. The first kind 

 during conquest was the ' via militaris,'' properly so called, or the ele- 

 vated highway fi'om military station to station. The second was the 

 ' via 2}nhlica,' or public road, made subsequently for intercourse from 

 one place to another, and to facilitate the arts of peace and communi- 

 cation with the Eoman capital. The third were the private roads, or 

 ' vim 23rhata,'' called also 'vice veanaks,' because, according to Ulpien, 

 ' ad affi-os et vicos diiamf {thej lead to the fields and villages)." The 

 average width o£ these military or elevated roads " was about forty-one 

 feet or a little more. The public roads were not necessarily paved or 

 straight. They were covered with gravel, and were fourteen feet wide. 

 The private or vicinal roads were less broad, seldom exceeding seven 



'It is now in the Museum at Preston. 



