Mareham Lane

Mareham Lane is an unclassified road between Graby and Sleaford in Lincolnshire, England. It is approximately 10.6 miles (17.1 km) long.

The Roman Road

For most of its length Mareham Lane follows the route of a minor Roman road, and the name is also used for that Roman road from Bourne to the original ford at Sleaford[1] and perhaps on to Lincoln (Lindum Colonia).[2][3]

Margary numbers

Ivan Margary allocated the following Margary numbers in his classification scheme:[4]

  • RR260 Bourne-Sleaford
  • RR262 Sleaford-Bracebridge Heath
  • Aerial view of Beacon Hill farm, showing the route of Mareham Way through the fields. This aerial view is somewhat washed out because it was photographed through the side window of a light aircraft.
    Beacon Hill farm on Mareham Lane
  • General view of Mareham Lane on a sunny day, with a dense hedgerow on the right.
    Mareham Lane near Scredington
  • The road crosses a ford just north of Graby. This is an idylic view of the Lincolnshire countryside with the hedgerows and trees in full summer splendour and the Keck in bloom along the road verges.
    Ford just north of Graby
  • Roman Alignment between the bottom of the modern road and the layby on the A15
    Roman Alignment through cornfield

Route details

Point Coordinates
(Links to map resources) 		OS Grid Ref Notes
Footpath to Cawthorpe 52°46′53″N 0°22′37″W / 52.78136°N 0.37688°W / 52.78136; -0.37688 (Footpath to Cawthorpe) TF095216 King street deviates from modern A15, to go through Stainfield to Ancaster. Start of Roman Mareham Lane
Old Beck culvert 52°49′59″N 0°22′56″W / 52.833°N 0.382338°W / 52.833; -0.382338 (Old Beck culvert) TF090273 Bottom of Windmill Hill, Rippingale.
Start of linear Roman alignment on OS map
Layby at Graby 52°50′45″N 0°22′45″W / 52.84589°N 0.379076°W / 52.84589; -0.379076 (Layby at Graby) TF092288 Modern A15 straightened in the late 20th century.
Roman alignment continues into lay-by
Footpath to Graby Lane 52°50′52″N 0°22′42″W / 52.8479°N 0.37839°W / 52.8479; -0.37839 (Footpath to Graby Lane) TF093290 Roman alignment continues across field as public footpath
Graby Lane 52°51′06″N 0°22′34″W / 52.85179°N 0.376201°W / 52.85179; -0.376201 (Graby Lane) TF094294 End of footpath.
Start of Modern Mareham Lane
Ford 52°51′33″N 0°22′32″W / 52.85909°N 0.375624°W / 52.85909; -0.375624 (Ford) TF094303
Dry Ford 52°53′28″N 0°22′31″W / 52.891069°N 0.375180°W / 52.891069; -0.375180 (Dry Ford) TF094338 Seasonally intermittent Stream, sometimes appears across road.
Stream flows into Ouse Mere Lode
Billingborough crossroads 52°53′35″N 0°22′34″W / 52.89308°N 0.37610°W / 52.89308; -0.37610 (Billingborough crossroads) TF093340 Billingborough road, Folkingham
Folkingham road, Billingborough.
Stow Green 52°54′08″N 0°22′29″W / 52.902246°N 0.374673°W / 52.902246; -0.374673 (Stow Green) TF094351 Site of Stow Fair.
Site of Anglo-Saxon nunnery.
Threekinghham crossroads 52°54′51″N 0°22′38″W / 52.914059°N 0.377324°W / 52.914059; -0.377324 (Threekinghham crossroads) TF092364 Modern A52 crosses Modern Mareham Lane.
Mareham House 52°55′43″N 0°22′45″W / 52.92864°N 0.379285°W / 52.92864; -0.379285 (Mareham House) TF090380 Road junction at Spanby
Bend 52°58′51″N 0°23′14″W / 52.980883°N 0.387184°W / 52.980883; -0.387184 (Bend) TF083438 Northern end of Roman alignment on OS map.
Modern road deviates, and Roman Alignment becomes unclear.
Corner 52°59′21″N 0°23′28″W / 52.989179°N 0.391002°W / 52.989179; -0.391002 (Corner) TF081447 Modern Mareham road turns left.
This different alignment continues toward the old ford at Sleaford as a footpath.
Parish boundary 52°59′31″N 0°23′35″W / 52.992037°N 0.392937°W / 52.992037; -0.392937 (Parish boundary) TF079450 Modified alignment continues past modern Mareham Lane as parish boundary
Public footpath alongside.
Sleaford level crossing 52°59′43″N 0°24′31″W / 52.995258°N 0.408493°W / 52.995258; -0.408493 (Sleaford level crossing) TF069453 End of modern road called Mareham Lane at Sleaford level crossing.
cropmark 52°59′05″N 0°23′10″W / 52.984625°N 0.386017°W / 52.984625; -0.386017 (cropmark) TF084442 Possible continuation of straight alignment after the bend[5]
cropmark 52°59′50″N 0°23′08″W / 52.997205°N 0.385548°W / 52.997205; -0.385548 (cropmark) TF084456 Well-founded discovery of Roman road not on expected alignment.[6]
Ruskington 53°02′16″N 0°23′19″W / 53.037701°N 0.388510°W / 53.037701; -0.388510 (Ruskington) TF081501 Well-founded discovery of Roman road to south of Ruskington, on public footpath.[7]
Speculative northern continuation from Sleaford to Lincoln

See also

References

  1. ^ RR260: Margary, Ivan Donald (1973). Roman roads in Britain. J. Baker. p. 206. ISBN 978-0-212-97001-8.
  2. ^ Historic England. "Roman Road RR260 Bourne to Lincoln via Sleaford (1061192)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  3. ^ Historic England. "Roman Road RR262 Sleaford to Lincoln via Bracebridge Heath (1061215)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  4. ^ Margary, Ivan Donald. Roman roads in Britain.
  5. ^ Historic England. "Cropmark near bend in the road (1044205)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  6. ^ Historic England. "Cropmark to east of original alignment (1049491)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  7. ^ Historic England. "Cropmark on Footpath near Ruskington (1049494)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 27 February 2011.
  • Whitwell, J B (1992). Roman Lincolnshire. The Society of Lincolnshire History and Archaeology. ISBN 0-902668-16-1.
KML file (edit • help)
Template:Attached KML/Mareham Lane
KML is from Wikidata