Interactive Map of Roman Roads

[Nick Harbud]

Newly developed map reputedly containing all the known roads of the Empire.

Enjoy!   

[Ian61]

Good find Nick. An interesting summation of our current Knowledge. I am sure will be useful to many, including wargamers seeking verisimilitude in siting battles. I was however struck by how many of the roads shown are 'conjectured' and yet they have not been bold enough to fill rather obvious gaps such as a rather loud lacuna to the West of Salisbury.You cannot view this attachment.

[Imperial Dave]

Alot of them are still assessed remotely for obvious reasons

[Nick Harbud]

One imagines that filling in certain gaps near modern towns might involve excavation of back gardens or, possibly, front rooms. 

 

[Ian61]

Any clue as to what software actually opens these files as shown? I can open the file to see the basic road layout on a freebee GIS program (QGIS) but that is it. I would like to be able to do the 3D stuff shown although that might stretch my computers power as I do not game so I don't have a super-duper Graphics card.

[Sharur]

Not altogether sure what sources are involved in places, or exactly what the coverage is meant to be. For instance, my old OS Roman Britain paper map (North Sheet) shows a road running along the Antonine Wall, and more importantly, another heading north beyond it in eastern Scotland, that don't feature on the interactive map. Technically, that northern road could be considered beyond the Empire's boundary, but it does seem an odd omission.

It is an impressive viewing tool online though. I especially like the 3D "fly-through" option!

Any clue as to what software actually opens these files as shown? I can open the file to see the basic road layout on a freebee GIS program (QGIS) but that is it. I would like to be able to do the 3D stuff shown although that might stretch my computers power as I do not game so I don't have a super-duper Graphics card.

I suspect you'd probably need a GIS viewer with the terrain already available in it. I'm guessing the JSON file only includes data for the roads themselves, not the terrain too (it's not that big a file!).

[lionheartrjc]

Last night listened to an online lecture from Mike Halen of the Roman Roads Research Association.

The itiner-e map for Britannia relies on the 1957 Margory map - so in effect is 70 years out of date.  It also excludes roads which are not connected to the rest of the road network, despite the fact that they definitely existed which is rather bizarre.

Mike presented his new digital map for Roman roads in Britain which should be available by the end of the year and includes an incredible amount of work (about 4 year's worth!) reviewing HERs, lidar and aerial photography.

The presentation should appear on the Roman roads website soon.  Worth listening to.

[Imperial Dave]

I was due to listen to this but got sidetracked

[Sharur]

This is interesting news about Ivan Margary's 1955 "The Roman Roads of Britain" being used as the sole source for the Itiner-e map. Why not even the 1973 updated version, I wonder?

It's shame so much on that Roman roads website is gated behind a paywall though, as it looks fascinating, especially the OS maps section.

[lionheartrjc]

There will be a second chance to hear Mike Haken's talk about the Roman Roads of Britain on Wednesday 19th November at 7:30pm.  Tickets on Eventbrite.

[Imperial Dave]

Trying to make sure I am free for this