ROMANO-BRITISH NORFOLK Camboritum to Lincoln involves on this hypothesis serious difficulties into which we cannot now enter. It is sufficient to know that there is good evidence for a Roman road from Colchester by Stratford and Scole and Stratton to Caister, 2. Longer road from Colchester to Caister. The first of the two Itinerary routes which I have quoted, gives a route from Caister to Colchester, which is 76 Roman miles long, and is therefore obviously not direct. There are traces of such a route, and indeed more traces than are needful (fig. 16). These traces indicate a road or roads deviating from the direct road somewhere north of Ipswich, running north-east to the vicinity of Yoxford and Dunwich, and thence running north-west to rejoin the direct route near Caister. They consist of the place-name Stratford between Wickham Market and Saxmundham ; the significantly if intermittently straight road by Coddenham, Pettaugh, Earl Soham and Peasenhall ; the similar road from Peasenhall to Weybread ; and the name Stone Street applied to the road between Halesworth and Bungay. These seem to indicate two roughly parallel routes, the one east of and outside the other, but, as all the evidence for them is in Suffolk, we can- not here discuss them further. It is, however, necessary to say thus much, because they afford certain indications for Norfolk. If there was a road from Peasenhall to Weybread, it probably entered Norfolk at Needham or Harleston, and soon joined the direct route from Colchester to Caister. If there was a road by Halesworth and Bungay, it must have entered the county near Bungay, and, perhaps passing the Street Farm at Bergh Apton, have joined the direct route near the gates ot Caister. But till more evidence be forthcoming, we must be content with saying that there was a longer road from Colchester to Caister, but that its course, at least in Norfolk, is unknown.^ 3. Northwards from Caister. Some antiquaries suppose that a road ran from Caister (or Norwich) by Stratton Strawless to Cromer and a Roman fort there. The idea, in this form, is a mere guess, unworthy of attention, for there is no Roman fort near Cromer and no trace of the road anywhere. However, the name Stratton and the remains at Rippon Hall, Brampton and Buxton, immediately north of Stratton, may indicate a not yet discovered road from Caister to Brampton. There is a Street Farm at Brampton. 4. Eastwards from Caister. A road has often been supposed to have run from Caister (or Norwich) eastwards to Downham Market and thence across the Cambridgeshire fens, a little north of March, to Peter- borough and the Roman ' station ' at Chesterton. The western or Cam- bridgeshire part of this road is tolerably well attested ; parts of it have been properly traced and its nature ascertained by excavation, and though nothing has been found to prove definitely its Roman origin, it is cer- • Camden thought to trace the longer route by a westerly deviation, through Thetford, and many writers have followed him. But there are no Roman remains known at Thetford or other places selected for this route, and there is no trace whatever of the road at any point (see the Index under Thetford). 301
