Fosse Way Fosse Way The Fosse Way was a Roman road in England that linked Exeter ("Isca Dumnoniorum") in South West England to Lincoln ("Lindum Colonia") in Lincolnshire, via Ilchester ("Lindinis"), Bath ("Aquae Sulis"), Cirencester ("Corinium") and Leicester ("Ratae Corieltauvorum"). It joined Akeman Street and Ermin Way at Cirencester, crossed Watling Street at "Venonis" (High Cross) south of Leicester, and joined Ermine Street at Lincoln. The word "Fosse" is derived from the Latin "fossa", meaning "ditch". For the first few decades after the Roman invasion of Britain in CE 43, the Fosse Way marked the western frontier of Roman rule in Iron
Limes Britannicus was established in "Isca Dumnoniorum". This was abandoned about 75 AD and the place was elevated into the "civitas" of the Dumnonii. The city of Lincoln was initially the headquarters of the "Legio IX Hispana" and, at the end of the reign of Domitian, was elevated to a "Colonia". It lay on the river Witham, another important communication route. Near the town there was probably a bridge across the river. "Ermine Street" linked London ("Londinium") with the legion camp of York ("Eburacum"). In addition, one of Roman Britain’s main roads, the "Fosse Way", which ran from the west from the