Drax

Roman-Building

There is a substantial Roman building on the south bank of the River Ouse at Rusholme Hall near Drax in North Yorkshire.

To the west of the site on the other side of Drax village, there is a suspicious alignment of roads visible on the OS Landranger Maps #105 and #106. The alignment closely passes the site of a Priory at Drax Abbey Farm and continues on the north bank of the River Ouse, through the town centre of Hemingborough and likewise through South Duffield, then passing on the east of North Duffield. The trace is very tenuous until Thorganby, but passes close to the west of an earth-work on the west bank of the River Derwent, opposite the site of Ellerton Priory on the east bank.

The road north from Thorganby turns abruptly west to pass through the town of Wheldrake, but if the course is followed over the top of the hill straight ahead, passing through the conspicuously named ‘Mount Pleasant’ (see ref), the alignment is picked up again by the road just south of Elvington Grange. Thereafter, all trace is lost, but the road, if it existed, would have joined up or crossed the known Roman road running south-east from Eburacum to Petuaria (Brough on Humber), somewhere on Dunnington Common between Grimston and Kexby, possibly at Hall Garth.

It must be admitted that the only provenance for the existence of a Roman road here is the building at Drax.

References for Drax

  • Historical Map and Guide – Roman Britain by the Ordnance Survey (3rd, 4th & 5th eds., 1956, 1994 & 2001).

Map References for Drax

NGRef: SE6926 OSMap: LR105/106

Roman Roads near Drax

None identified

Sites near Drax