268 
may still be seen, intersects the boundary line of the counties 
of York and Lancaster, and ascends to Duke's Cross : whence, 
passing Maiden Cross, it reaches Mereclough, in the parish 
of Burnley, where, in the year 1695, Eoman money, consist- 
ing of fine consular medals, was found. There was also 
discovered in the immediate vicinity of this place, about the 
year 1765, a glass vessel, full of the small brass coins of 
Constantino the Great and Licinius.* From Mereclough, the 
road reached Burnley, the termination of the third day's 
march. Here, Roman coins and other indicia have been 
found. Dr. Thomas Dunham "Whitaker says : — The dis- 
coveries of Eoman remains about the place are abundantly 
sufficient to prove the town to have been a settlement of that 
people upon a vicinal way, though neither fortified nor garri- 
soned, and therefore unrecorded in the itineraries." (Whalley, 
p. 321.) He is of opinion that Burnley occupied a position 
nearly midway, and almost in a direct line between Ribchester 
and Slack, and maintains the necessity of a means of com- 
munication between the two places on account of their 
importance. Of this supposed vicinal way, although I know 
the country well, I am unable to say anything. There does 
not appear to be any reliable evidence on which to base the 
theory. Dr. Whitaker alludes to the discoveries at Mere- 
clough as being at the " commencement of the Long Cause- 
way." But this Long Causeway leads direct to Stiperden, 
and to the route over which we have brought the Iter from 
Doncaster to Burnley. From the latter place, the march ter- 
minated at Ribchester, once a Roman city of the highest 
importance. Not only was it found necessary to connect by 
excellent roads — roads so direct and durable as to be generally 
in use at the present day — such fortified places as Eburacum 
* Ducatus— MUSi^lUM THORESBY ANUM— p. 1, Foot-note by 
Whitaker, and p. 8 of the Catalogue. lUd. Edit. 1816. 
