Huddersfield in Roman Times
By Ian A. Richmond

REFORMS UNDER THE EMPORER HADRIAN, A.D. 117-125.

THE ARRIVAL OF HADRIAN, A.D. 122
But troubles in the north seem to have continued, and the energetic Hadrian did not consider these changes sufficient when he arrived to reform the frontier in A.D. 122. Between the Tyne and the Solway the earthwork boundary was abandoned, and most of the forts behind which it had run were connected by a great stone wall. Similarly the forts at Castleshaw and at Slack were abandoned, and at Slack repairs were left unfinished. But since Slack lies at the distance of a day’s journey from Manchester, it looks as if this section of the main road between York and Chester now fell into disuse, together with the forts along it, perhaps because it was full of long hills, which retarded the swift cars of the Imperial courier service.

Yet a road across the hills was needed and actually was in use a century later, as a literary source tells which is discussed below. Consequently it is reasonable to assign to Hadrian the building of a new road between Manchester and the Calder Valley, across Blackstone Edge, passing through Moston, Royton, Burnedge, Hollingworth, Lydgate, Ripponden, and Greetland. Blackstone Edge and Ripponden Bank are the only long or steep hills on this route, which is thus vastly superior to the road through Castleshaw and Slack.

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