A ROMAN ROAD.

Stratford Evening Post, Volume XXXIX, Issue 3, 24 April 1914, Page 7

A ROMAN ROAD.

I ITS PLANS IN NEW ZEALAND. Mr S. Jickell, Borough Engineer, ' of Palmerston North, has had sent : him a copy of the plan of a section 1 of a Roman road, discovered at RochI ester, England, in 1897. The plan was forwarded to Mr Jickell by Mr Win. Hanks, city surveyor, of Rochester, ft gives a good idea of the formation of the famous highways made under the Roman regime in various parts of Great Briain. It is supposed that this road was 1 built some time in the third century, 1 as the Romans lauded in Kent, 55 8.C., and finally quitted the country about 410 A.D. The plan gives a comprehensive idea of the laborious process by which the Romans built their roads. It has to be borne in mind that this work was all done by slaves and took a considerable length of time, but the fact that to-day, after having been built for over 1500 years, many of the roads are still in excellent condition, is proof "of the durable quality of the workmanship and the excellence of the design. Tn constructing the great highway from the Kentish coast to the North of England a wooden bridge was thrown across the river Medway, between Rochester and Strood. On reaching the Strood side of the river the Roman engineers were confronted with a marsh 355 yards wide. This difficulty was overcome by constructing a causeway on the surface of the marsh, and it is this section of the roadway which is shown in the plan sent to Mr Jickell. The surface is composed of Kentish ragstone 7 inches thick; underneath that is a small layer of pebbles mixed with earth ,) inches thick. In the next layer is small broken flint stones 7 incnes thick;' the next layer is ordinary rammed chalk to form a cushion 5 inches thick". Next is a depth of three feci; six inches of Kentish ragstone mixed with Roman tiles, and underneath that are oak piles, four feet long.;-with oak timber laid at intervals from pile to pile. The total depth of the road formation, exclusive of the timber work, is five feet ten;, inches, and the paved surface of the road is as good to-day as when constructed. The top surface is strewn with Roman cement.