Roman Ridge

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Plan of the Roman Ridge
Plan of the Roman Ridge

The Roman Ridge (or Roman Rig) is a Dyke in South Yorkshire, England that runs from near Wincobank in Sheffield to Mexborough. Its purpose and date of construction are unknown. Formerly thought to have been a Roman road, modern archaeologists think that it was built either in the 1st century AD by the Brigantian tribes as a defence against the Roman invasion of Britain, or after the 5th century to defend the kingdom of Elmet from the Angles.

The southernmost end of the dyke is thought to have been close to Lady's Bridge at the River Don in Sheffield, but today it only becomes visible close to the Iron Age fort at Wincobank. The dyke continues in a north-easterly direction following the Don Valley to Kimberworth in Rotherham where it splits into two branches that continue roughly parallel to each other in a sweep starting to the north-east and turning east. The southern branch passes through Greasbrough, intersecting the River Don just south of Swinton at Kilnhurst. The northern branch passes close to another Iron Age fort at Scholes Coppice and runs to the north of Swinton, meeting the River Don at Mexborough.

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[edit] References

  • Brigantes Nation (2002). Roman Rig. (Accessed 17 December 2005.)
  • Hunter, Joseph (1819). An inquiry into the early state and remote history of the Parish of Sheffield. In: Hallamshire. The History and Topography of the Parish of Sheffield in the County of York. pp15–23. London: Lackington, Hughes, Harding, Mayor & Jones. This book is out of print but can be purchased on CD-ROM
  • Leader, R.E. (1906). The Highways and Byways of Old Sheffield. A lecture delivered before the Sheffield Literary and Philosophical Society (transcription)