Watling Street | As described in F.H. Groome's Ordnance Gazetteer of Scotland (1882-4)

Descriptive Gazetteer Entry for Watling Street

Watling Street, a Roman road from Yorkshire in England to the E end of Antoninus' Wall in Scotland. After crossing the walls of Hadrian and Severus, and passing the stations of Risingham and Roechester, it arrives through a rugged country, by way of the Golden Pots on Thirlmoor, at Chewgreen, the Roman post nearest the Border. Approaching Scotland in a north-north-westerly direction, it first touches it at Brownham Law, near the sources of Coquet Water; and, after having divided the kingdoms for 1½ mile, enters Scotland at Blackhall Hill, on the boundary between Oxnam and Hounam in Roxburghshire. From this point it runs 12 miles north-westward to the Teviot, near the mouth of the Jed; forming for a long way the boundary between Oxnam and Hounam; traversing small wings of Oxnam, Jedburgh, and Crailing-passing some vestiges of a station, just before reaching the Teviot and crossing the Kail at Towford, the Oxnam a little below Capehope, and the Jed a little below Bonjedward. N ear the points respectively of its passage beyond the Oxnam and beyond the Teviot, it seems to have sent off one branch northward into Roxburgh, and another deviatingly round the N side of Penielheugh. The main line, however, leads through the enclosures of Mount Teviot; passes along the S side of Penielheugh; forms for 3½ miles the NE boundary of Ancrum; passes over St Boswell's Green, and crosses Bowden Burn above Newton, where its remains are very distinct; and thence moves forward to the eastern base of the Eildon Hills, and to the Tweed above Melrose and near Gattonside, amidst an unusually large number of Roman and British camps and fortifications. After passing the Tweed, the road bends from its hitherto north westerly to a northerly direction; proceeds up Melrose parish and the detached and projecting section of Lauder, on a line nearly parallel with the Leader, but inward from its vale; passes Roman stations at Chesterlee above Clackmae, and at Walls near New Blainslee; becomes very distinct throughout 1hf. mile; and then, about ½ mile ENE of Chieldhelles chapel, enters Lauderdale. The road appears to have passed on the W side of Lauder town and E of Old Lauder, where there are remains of a military station; and about 1½ mile onward it again becomes visible, takes for a brief way the name of the Ox-road, and leads up to a strong station, called Black Chester. From this post it passes on by the W of Oxton, crosses the western head-stream of the Leader, and leads on in a distinctly marked line to the Roman station at Channelkirk; thence it proceeds forward to far-seeing Soutra Hill, in the small projecting district of Haddingtonshire; and descending thence it turns to the left, pursues a north-westerly direction, and traverses the parishes of Midlothian onward to Currie, which stands in a bend of the Water of Leith, 6 miles SW of Edinburgh. Between Soutra Hill and Currie, it crossed the South Esk near Dalhousie Castle, and the North Esk near Mavisbank, where many Roman antiquities have been found; and thence it pursued its course by Loanhead and Straiton, which probably owe their names to its neighbourhood, to Bow Bridge, at the E end of the Pentland Hills. Beyond Currie it proceeded to the naval station on the Forth at Cramond; and thence it crossed the Almond into Linlithgowshire, and passing Barnbougle Hill, went along Ecklin Moor to Carriden. The great western Roman road, or that which came up Annandale, crossed into Crawford, and went down the valley of the Clyde, is also in some localities called Watling Street.

Linked entities:
Feature Description:	"a Roman road" (ADL Feature Type: "roadways")
Administrative units:	Roxburghshire ScoCnty

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