New Open Access Journal: Roman Roads Research Association Newsletter

Ivan Margary’s “Roman Roads in Britain”, last published in 1973, represented a fairly comprehensive assessment of the nation’s Roman road network as it was understood at the time. Unfortunately, it has all too often been assumed that after Margary’s work our knowledge and understanding of the Roman road network was reasonably complete, an assumption that has led to a lack of serious study within professional archaeology (with the notable exception of roads in Wales), and a failure to acknowledge that we are probably only reasonably certain of about 40% of the network at best.

For the last forty years and more, the serious study of Roman roads has largely been left to a handful of disparate individuals and small amateur groups, with little or no co-ordination or cooperation between them. Neither has it helped that the subject has, on occasions, attracted individuals whose enthusiasm has been rather more evident than their objectivity. The RRRA was formed to bring those disparate individuals together, and to coordinate a nationwide programme of research ensuring a consistent and high quality approach.