These  peculiarities  in  the  setting-out  of  Roman  roads  render
valuable  corroborative  service  where  the  actual  remains  are
doubtful ;  and  in  the  absence  of  such  remains,  will  sometimes
suggest  the  probable  line.  But  it  should  be  kept  in  mind,  that
the  Romans  did  not  always  follow  so  exact  a  method  in  the
setting-out  of  their  roads  as  in  the  example  just  cited.
The  distribution  of  our  Roman  roads  now  claims  attention.
If  three  maps  of  Britain,  one  showing  the  principal  Roman
roads,  another  the  principal  modern  roads,  and  the  third  the
railways,  are  compared,  it  will  be  observed  that,  in  each,  London
is  the  grand  centre  from  which  the  chief  thoroughfares  radiate.
Further,  it  will  be  observed  that  many  of  these  arteries  follow
similar  courses  on  the  three  maps  ;  also,  that  most  of  the  places
where  the  Roman  roads  intersected — '  junctions  '  in  railway
parlance — still  fulfil  the  same  function  in  the  modern  road  and
railway  systems.  The  generally  closer  network  of  the  modern
communications  and  the  multiplication  of  towns  and  villages,
indicate  a  denser  population,  but  the  preponderance  of  the


32  THE  ROMAN  ERA  IN  BRITAIN

country's  traffic  still  flows  along  the  old  lines  ;  and  this  in  spite
of  the  radical  change  in  the  distribution  of  the  population
referred  to  on  page  4,  and  indicated  on  the  maps  (Figs.  2  and  3).
