stane street

Stane Street is the modern name given to an important Roman road in England that linked London to the Roman town of Regnum (near modern Chichester). Stane Street is especially interesting as it shows clearly the principles of planning that the Romans used. The overall alignment is based on an accurate line "sighted" from London Bridge to Chichester, with subtle local variations to allow for not only the nature of the intervening terrain (gentle slopes are used to climb the line of the South Downs) but also the underlying geology (the preferred line stays on chalk ground and avoids London clay as far as possible). The line of the road runs south west from London Bridge, through Tooting, Merton, Ewell, and crosses the North Downs near Dorking. South of Dorking the modern A29 follows the line very closely through Billingshurst as far as Pulborough. The alignment turns west at this point to make a beeline for Chichester, and passes the notable villa at Bignor, before climbing up onto the South Downs. Up on the open heath of the downs the line of the road can be followed very well on foot and is free of modern roads and paths. The name is simply an old spelling of "stone" which was commonly used to differentiate paved Roman raods from muddy native trackways.

Stane Street

See also