Saturday, November 10, 2007

Watling Street


Until half an hour ago I believed that the little Watling Street in the City of London (where I occasionaly buy a sandwich from a nice Italian bakery) was a component part of the very long Watling Street, the great Roman road which ran from Dover, through London, up towards St Albans and then north westards towards Shropshire and Wales.

Now thanks to Wikipedia I learn that it probably wasn't on the route of the Roman Road, because the Roman road would have crossed the Thames near the site of the present London Bridge, and this little Watling Street is too far to the west of the City to be part of its progress north.

Still it's name is a nice reminder that London was the Roman capital of Britain, and hence an appropriate place for an Italian bakery.

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