Tabula rasa, or building on the past?

Roger White is a Shropshire-based archaeologist who was formerly a Senior Lecturer at the University of Birmingham. He has spent his working life researching the Roman town of Wroxeter. In this talk, Roger will look at the genesis and development of the Roman road system in Shropshire, with a particular look at what may already have existed. Join us on Thursday January 8th, 2026 at 19:30 GMT (London time).

Image shows Roman road 64 during excavation, heading north over Sharpstones Hill, Shrewsbury

The accepted position on Roman road construction in the territory that later became Shropshire has been presented as the imposition of Roman military  control on an area devoid of previous development. Archaeology is beginning to suggest otherwise. The purpose of this lecture is to explore the pre-existing road network in Shropshire, as far as is possible at the moment, and approach an understanding of what Roman road engineers brought to the region, and its later influence on the county.

This presentation will take place via Zoom, and will be followed by a Q&A session. As with all our talks, tickets are free, but we welcome donations when booking a ticket to help us cover our costs. Attendees will receive a link by email after registration, and reminder emails two days before the talk. The meeting room will open to the public at 7:15pm GMT (London time) with the talk starting at 7:30pm GMT (London time).