Dere Street Roman Road

About Dere Street Roman Road

It is often said that armies march on their stomachs, but a good road certainly helps! Dere Street is the medieval name given to the great Roman road running south to north from Eboracum (York) to the Firth of Forth via the Borders. It was built on the orders of the Roman Governor of Britain, Gnaeus Julius Agricola, who famously triumphed over the Caledonians at Mons Graupius in 83 AD.

Many stretches of Dere Street were 7-8 metres wide with drainage channels, a metalled surface (crushed stones packed together), and regular mile markers and resupply stops. Some sections even had parallel carriageways to relieve congestion in busy thoroughfares. After nearly 2,000 years, many sections of Dere Street are unmistakable and walkable today. In some places you may see small quarry pits which provided gravel for the road.

The section of Dere Street from Monteviot to Ancrum Moor is now a tree-lined track through moor and farmland. It runs almost arrow-straight towards the Eildon Hills and the major cavalry fort of Trimontium near Melrose. Along the way you’ll encounter Lillard’s Stone, a memorial to a young woman who was killed during the Battle of Ancrum Moor in 1545, which was fought in this area.

Many later would-be conquerors made use of Rome’s roadworks. Norse warbands used Dere Street to expedite their raids and Edward I of England brought major armies along it multiple times during his Scottish campaigns of 1296 to 1305.