The Antonine Wall
The Military Way
A road, the Military Way, ran along the full length of the Antonine Wall, usually around 40 metres to the south of it. The Military Way linked up the forts along the Wall. It is possible to walk along the course of this road at Rough Castle, as it runs through the middle of the fort. The road is between 5 and 6 metres wide, allowing supply wagons to pass each other. It would have been used not only by soldiers but also by couriers, traders and local native people.
The structure of the Military Way is typical of that of Roman roads throughout Britain (see the drawing below). It has a foundation of large stone blocks, with upper layers of smaller stones and gravel. The surface was raised above the surrounding ground level, and it has a distinct camber (sloping towards either side) so that rainwater would run towards drainage ditches built alongside the road.
A cross-section through a typical Roman road
To read more about the construction of the Antonine Wall, click here.
