What is Fosse Way?
[[Image:Fosse Way.JPG|thumb|220px|Roman Britain, with the Fosse Way in red]] '''Fosse Way''' was one of the main [[Roman roads in Britain]]. Its route was unusual, because despite its length it went nowhere near London. It went directly from the south-west coast to the midland east coast. It linked [[Exeter]] (''Isca Dumnoniorum'') in [[South West England]] to [[Lincoln, Lincolnshire|Lincoln]] (''Lindum Colonia'') in the [[East Midlands]]. The road went via [[Ilchester]] (''Lindinis''), [[Bath, Somerset|Bath]] (''Aquae Sulis''), [[Cirencester]] (''Corinium'') and [[Leicester]] (''Ratae Corieltauvorum''). It joined [[Akeman Street]] and [[Ermin Street|Ermin Way]] at Cirencester, crossed [[Watling Street]] at ''Venonis'' (High Cross) south of Leicester, and joined [[Ermine Street]] at Lincoln. The word ''Fosse'' is derived from the [[Latin]] ''fossa'', meaning ''ditch''. For the first few decades after the [[Roman invasion of Britain]] in AD [[43]], the Fosse Way marked the western frontier of Roman rule in [[British Iron Age|Iron Age Britain]]. It is possible that the road began as a defensive ditch that was later filled in and converted into a road, or possibly a defensive ditch ran alongside the road for at least some of its length. It is remarkable for its extremely direct route. From Lincoln to Ilchester in [[Somerset]] is a distance of 182 miles. The road is never more than six miles from a straight line. Place names with words like -cester or -chester are derived from the [[Latin]] ''castra'', meaning 'military camp'. 'Street' is derived from the Latin ''strata'', meaning a paved road. Fosse Way still exists. In places it is a major road, in others a country path. The [[A46]] between Lincoln and Leicester is on the Fosse Way. From Bath to Ilchester the [[A37]] follows the Fosse, and from Ilchester to Exeter the [[A30]]/[[A303]] roads follow the Fosse for the most part. The Roman road is, quite simply, the shortest route possible. {{geo-stub}} [[Category:Roman roads in Britain]]