What did the Romans ever do for us?

When I walk, I walk for a variety of reasons, it's health and fitness, for the hound, to escape, to think, to connect with nature or to connect with our past. If I'm lucky, I can tick several of those boxes in a walk, and if I'm really lucky I can achieve all of them. Today I was really lucky. Cranborne Chase the destination, our route, a stretch of the Acking Dyke, a Roman road constructed shortly after the invasion of 43AD by the Second Legion Augusta, and which after all the intervening years still remains remarkably well preserved in places. Musing on the Roman road, the ''What did the Romans ever do for us?'' sketch from 'The Life of Brian' came to mind. I thought of the many technological advance the Romans had brought us which faded, along with the Romans after their departure in 410AD, all eventually to be completely forgotten. And asked myself, how does that to happen? Why would a people allow that to happen? Why wouldn't life just carry on as it was, how did they just stop living in one set circumstance, opting instead for a far lesser ones. There's evidence of deserted villas being squatted, though not inside, rather shanty shacks built against the outside walls. We stopped building in stone, building roads, maintaining infrastructure and buildings, the urban population left the towns, the quality of our wares deceased, and industries collapsed, institutions too. Why? Why turn your back on advancement wholesale. Did they fear Roman influence, was it superstition and beliefs or was it out of disdain for the colonizer, the outsider? Even though those colonizers, who'd come from across the known world, had been here for nearly 400 years by then. Whatever it was, it was self defeating, an act of cultural, economic and technological devolution, which took us centuries to crawl out of. Of course, we didn't really need to take that path. We chose to. That got me thinking about Brexit, is 'cutting our noses off to spite our collective faces' a particularly British/English thing? The comparison is compelling. I think, even though the Romans left us, and this time it's us leaving Europe, the end result will surely be comparable...degrees of cultural and economic collapse.  I'm all for Living History, although this is taking it too far! 

Hod Hill

I've set myself a mission this year to visit all of Dorsets' hillforts. Over the years I've visited many of them, although many more I haven't and that situation needs addressing. Today it was the turn of Hod Hill out to the north-west of Blandford and on the hill adjacent to another well known hillfort, Hambledon Hill.  In fact Hambledon Hills fortification were deserted in favour of Hod Hill about 300BC, and having visited the two it's easy to see why. Hambledon Hills ramparts and ditches, magnificent as they are, only enclose a narrow occupation area which is far from level, whereas Hod Hill encloses a substantial 54 acres occupation area and is much more level. When fully occupied it contained around 250 round houses and associated structures.

It was captured by the Romans in 44AD as they swept west, after a siege and battle, evidence of which was discovered during archaeological excavations in the 1950's. A large number of 'ballista' bolts (substantial metal tipped arrows fired from a large mounted static crossbow) were recovered, and appeared to be focused on one particular large and palisaded building within the ramparts, possibly that of the tribal leader. Once captured and abandoned by its Durotrigion inhabitants, the Romans created a fort in the north-west corner. This variation on the standard square Roman fort (although utilizing the hillforts ramparts and ditches on two sides) is one of the best preserved Roman forts in the country. During the time it was occupied it housed around 500 foot soldiers (a cohort)  and 200 cavalry in support. The fort was not long lived though, being abandoned in 51AD as the frontier moved under the onslaught of the Legions.

Hod Hill is not a very steep hill compared with others in the area, although does have one very steep which runs down to the River Stour. Hod Hill is one of several hillforts sited in close proximity to the River Stour, which would have been ideal for transporting goods and people between hillforts. There's an entrance to the Roman fort in its north-west corner known as the 'water gate' as it's suggested the Roman cavalry used it to access the river in order to water their horses (how this is known I'm uncertain).

Hod Hill is worth a visit in any season: in the winter it's bracing, in the summer it's perfect for a picnic, although a favourite time for me is the end of April into May when the ramparts and interior are covered in Cowslips.