Page:History of Manchester (1771), Volume 1, by John Whitaker.djvu/190

Chap. V. OF MANCHESTER, 161 fortrefs of Veratinum. This was intended to guard the fbrd f and muft have been then lkirted on every fide by the great wood that was afterwards denominated the Foreft of Derby (hi re t9 . And the detachment which had been probably fent over the Merfey at Stretford, and had taken the fortrefs of Mancunium, muft as. probably have continued its route dire&ly to Ribchefter and Overborough, have feized the fortrefles of Rerigonium and Bremetonacae, and have re-united with the army in the county of Cumberland. In each of thefe fortrefles the detachments, a&ing undoubtedly upon the fame principles with the main body, muft have fuc- ceffively left a competent garrifon. On each of thefe fortrefles muft Agricola at the end of the campaign have conftru&ed a regular ftation and have fixed a regular garrifon* This muft have been the cafe of Bremetonacae and Veratinum in particular, though the one is firft mentioned by the late Itinerary of Antoninus and the other by the later Chorography of Ravennas. Both of therti appear from their Britifli names to have been originally Britifh fortrefles, and neither of them could have retained thofe names if they had not immediately been converted into Roman ftations. Veratinum was not upon the courfe of the great road from Car* Kfle to the fouth, and is therefore unnoticed in the earlier Itine- raries. The road, pafling from Carlifle to Blackrode, did not proceed from Blackrode to Kinderton in a ftraight direction and the line of the prefent road, but, turning to the left, rounded by Manchefter to it. And fuch appears to have been its di- rection for two centuries afterwards from the Itinerary of An* toninus. But in the fourth century, Ibme time after the date of Anto- nine* 9 and before the period of Ravennas's Itinerary, the courfe of the road was changed. . As it circled by Manchefter, the diftance betwixt Blackrode and Kinderton was about forty rrica- fiired miles. But if the one was laid dire&ly through Warrington, the other could be only about thirty. The courfe of the great ? road was therefore diverted from Manchefter to Warrington* ■ Y And