Hunting a Roman road in England

[Urien of Rheged]

Up this morning from the deep on an old Roman road I've been focusing on recently.
The construction of this road from England's north West coast to York has been estimated to have been sometime from 70AD - 120AD
I think this sword scabbard chape is post medieval possibly Tudor or maybe even as late as the English civil war. Lancashire saw a lot of fighting in that decade long conflict and Cromwells troops are known to have come through this area from Yorkshire to do battle against a Scots royalist army in 1648 and would have undoubtedly used this old highway to get there.

 

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[Gare]

GREAT FIND Thank you for posting

 

[Nathan W]

That's awesome

 

[Urien of Rheged]

That's awesome

From researching chapes this one looks to be 15th - 16th century. Too old for the civil war unless a participant was out there using is great great Grandads.
War of the Roses instead then and the Lancastrian's versus the Yorkists.

 

[pepperj]

Very nice piece, congrats

 

[E-Trac-Ohio]

A great piece of history - congrats !

 

[invent4hir]

Wow what an artifact & story! My motto is "every artifact has a story, if we're willing to listen". Forgot to mention, that you have to figure out what the story is.

 

[Urien of Rheged]

Wow what an artifact & story! My motto is "every artifact has a story, if we're willing to listen". Forgot to mention, that you have to figure out what the story is.

The old Roman road is impressively straight through the valley. Where I found this scabbard was in a bit of a hollow standing where the chape came up the field drops into such a low depression you cannot actually see what or who is in front or behind you in the road at this point. Perfect for an ambush really. Battles where recorded but thousands og skirmishes must have happened and never remembered by anyone other than those who walked away from them and maybe their grandchildren decades later sat around a fireside listening to tales of yore.
For a history buff like myself there isn't a hobby that can touch metal detecting. My mate jokes that my house is like a free museum where you even get to hold the displays 😆

 

[oldmxrat]

That is such a cool old piece, congrats and thanks for sharing!

 

[Digger RJ]

Up this morning from th3 deep on an old Roman road I've been focusing on recently.
I think it's post medieval possibly Tudor or maybe even as late as the English civil war. Lancashire saw a lot of fighting in that decade long conflict and Cromwells troops are known to have come through this area from Yorkshire to do battle against a Scots royalist army in 1648 and would have undoubtedly used this old highway to get there.View attachment 2193521View attachment 2193522View attachment 2193523

Very Cool!!! Congrats!!!

 

[xr7ator]

Very nice find and thanks for sharing here.

 

[Almy]

I agree that getting information about finds, identifying them and getting an idea of their history and their place in it, is a big part of the pleasure of MDing for me also. And I, too, have displays of artifacts that can be shown (buttons, coins, balls and bullets, other household items, for examples). All part of the fun!

 

[invent4hir]

The old Roman road is impressively straight through the valley. Where I found this scabbard was in a bit of a hollow standing where the chape came up the field drops into such a low depression you cannot actually see what or who is in front or behind you in the road at this point. Perfect for an ambush really. Battles where recorded but thousands og skirmishes must have happened and never remembered by anyone other than those who walked away from them and maybe their grandchildren decades later sat around a fireside listening to tales of yore.
For a history buff like myself there isn't a hobby that can touch metal detecting. My mate jokes that my house is like a free museum where you even get to hold the displays 😆

Even w/o visiting the site and combatants, I can picture them through your description! Yes, we history buffs can talk for hours about what else, history. Consider putting the artifact you found and corresponding description in something like the attached pictures. The first I donated to the local historical society while the second I display on my bookshelf.

 

[Urien of Rheged]

Even w/o visiting the site and combatants, I can picture them through your description! Yes, we history buffs can talk for hours about what else, history.

Returned late afternoon for a couple of hours after work until bad light stopped play. Managed to find a medieval lead seal matrix.
Took a few shots of the Roman road.
Most of Englands Roman road system is pretty much still in use and has been well tarmacked over during the centuries. Lancashire has some of the best preserved now unused stretches of Roman road in the country. For large stretches this one heading east to York takes up hedgerows and farm tracks but on a stretch for just under a mile on a permission I am fortunate to have the road crosses the open fields and can still be seen as a distinct agger as it crosses.
Photos never seem to capture what the eye does and so in the image you might not appreciate that agger and rhe faint traces of the drainage ditches on either side

In the first photo im standing on the roman road looking east you can see the agger more in the distance than close up
just through the gate on the second photo is where i found the scabbard chape and that little area also prodiced a Roman Sestertius and a mysery relic thst i havent Identified yet.
thiis photo is taken on the same spot as the precious photo but looking in the opposite direction toward the west. Those trees you see are directly on the road and we are stood depression I mentioned where you cant see the road very far either in front or behind.
Was that gate area the scene of a bit of a ruckus back in the day?
We'll never know I guess.
In the last picture, im standing among those trees on the road we where looking at previously.
You can see the former cobbles of the street and maybe appreciate that digging this road is no easy task.When you get through the big cobbles you then hot a layer of gravel. A lot of swears and a bit of sweat too dealing with this kind of terrain. But it can be worth the effort.

ive had a couple of lead seal matrix previous but this one looks a bit different.
Shame legend is all but worn. Old though, most likely 13th-14th century but ill try research a bit more

 

[invent4hir]

Returned late afternoon for a couple of hours after work until bad light stopped play. Managed to find a medieval lead seal matrix.
Took a few shots of the Roman road.
Most of Englands Roman road system is pretty much still in use and has been well tarmacked over during the centuries. Lancashire has some of the best preserved now unused stretches of Roman road in the country. For large stretches this one heading east to York takes up hedgerows and farm tracks but on a stretch for just under a mile on a permission I am fortunate to have the road crosses the open fields and can still be seen as a distinct agger as it crosses.
Photos never seem to capture what the eye does and so in the image you might not appreciate that agger and rhe faint traces of the drainage ditches on either side

In the first photo im standing on the roman road looking east you can see the agger more in the distance than close up
just through the gate on the second photo is where i found the scabbard chape and that little area also prodiced a Roman Sestertius and a mysery relic thst i havent Identified yet.
thiis photo is taken on the same spot as the precious photo but looking in the opposite direction toward the west. Those trees you see are directly on the road and we are stood depression I mentioned where you cant see the road very far either in front or behind.
Was that gate area the scene of a bit of a ruckus back in the day?
We'll never know I guess.
In the last picture, im standing among those trees on the road we where looking at previously.
You can see the former cobbles of the street and maybe appreciate that digging this road is no easy task.When you get through the big cobbles you then hot a layer of gravel. A lot of swears and a bit of sweat too dealing with this kind of terrain. But it can be worth the effort.

ive had a couple of lead seal matrix previous but this one looks a bit different.
Shame legend is all but worn. Old though, most likely 13th-14th century but ill try research a bit more
View attachment 2194287View attachment 2194288View attachment 2194289

View attachment 2194291
View attachment 2194292

Interesting pictures! I'll bet the digging in the road is a tough go - which makes the artifacts you've found thus far so worth it. When you need a break, detect along the berms, as maybe the digging will be a bit easier there.

 

[Urien of Rheged]

Interesting pictures! I'll bet the digging in the road is a tough go - which makes the artifacts you've found thus far so worth it. When you need a break, detect along the berms, as maybe the digging will be a bit easier there.

Yes the seal matrix I found in the field a good 100 yards away from the road and indeed my shovel went through that soggy turf like a knife through butter.
I found it on my way back to the car and it was too dark to really see what I'd found. But I had an idea by that shape and could feel the legend on one side. Bit disappointed its so worn but its now brought a few more acres to my attention and is a decent sign there might be other items buried in the vicinity. For some reason that field has just never appealed to me and whenever I've visited the permission I've always concentrated just on the old road.
if I get a few hours free tomorrow I'm going to give it a good go..

 

[Urien of Rheged]

Got in a couple of hours this breezy albeit uncannily mild morning. Little 1898 Victorian 3 pence and a battered little Charles II half groat from the 1660's. Such a shame it's so battered. It's my first ever Charles II hammered. I've only previously found one Charles II coin, a big milled halfcrown from 1685. I take them as they come though and I'm always happy to save a hammy no matter what condition. Jist the feel of them gives me a buzz.
Took a picture of my GSD Macsen posing next to a medieval cross base (cross has long gone) that stands on the Roman road (highlighting how this was still in use long after the legions had left the island.

 

[Urien of Rheged]

This mysterious object I found not far from where the scabbard chape came up and was close to a worn out Roman Sestertius at a similar depth. I knew straight away from the deep green patina that it was of antiquity. When I returned home and washed it under the tap (faucet - and you call us limeys posh) took on a whole new colour with what seem like traces of blue which may just be copper oxidisation?
No clue what it is and it may be a while before I find out as it will go to the experts who don't exactly rush these things.

 

[Urien of Rheged]

That worn Sestertius
Still unidentified I favour Trajan. But I'm not great at identifying Roman coins so it probably isn't.

 

[invent4hir]

I'd be buzzing to! Once the ground dries out, consider digging a few test pits then sift the dirt through a screen, to see what non-metallic things you find.