Roman roads in Oxfordshire
Akeman Street crosses Oxfordshire from east to west, running from Alchester near Bicester through the Windrush valley toward Cirencester. The county was villa country: North Leigh and Ditchley were substantial estates working the good ground either side of the road. Long stretches of Akeman Street survive as green lane and bridleway rather than tarmac, which is why they are still legible.
- Mapped segments
- 37
- Surveyed length
- 260 km
- Named roads
- 2
Measured from the Itiner-e survey within the modern county boundary, which for Yorkshire, Cheshire and the other counties broken up in 1974 means the traditional area reassembled from its present-day parts. The survey maps far more road than it attributes to a named route, so the segment count counts everything, and the named roads below are only those with a history recorded here.
Where to see it
North Leigh Roman Villa has a fine mosaic under cover and free access, and the green-lane stretches of Akeman Street between Kirtlington and Ramsden are quiet walking. The Ashmolean in Oxford holds material from across the county.
Named roads through Oxfordshire
Akeman Street
Verulamium to Corinium
Icknield Way