Mareham Lane

Mareham Lane is an unclassified road between Graby and Sleaford in Lincolnshire, England. It is approximately 10.6 miles (17.1 km) long.

The Roman Road

For most of its length Mareham Lane follows the route of a minor Roman road, and the name is also used for that Roman road from Bourne to the original ford at Sleaford^[1] and perhaps on to Lincoln (Lindum Colonia).^[2][3]

Margary numbers

Ivan Margary allocated the following Margary numbers in his classification scheme:^[4]

• RR260 Bourne-Sleaford
• RR262 Sleaford-Bracebridge Heath

Selection of photographs from the collection on Wikimedia Commons

• 
  Beacon Hill farm on Mareham Lane
• 
  Mareham Lane near Scredington
• 
  Ford just north of Graby
• 
  Roman Alignment through cornfield

Route details

Point	Coordinates (Links to map resources)	OS Grid Ref	Notes
Footpath to Cawthorpe	52.78136°N 0.37688°W / 52.78136; -0.37688 (Footpath to Cawthorpe)	TF095216	King street deviates from modern A15, to go through Stainfield to Ancaster. Start of Roman Mareham Lane
Old Beck culvert	52.833°N 0.382338°W / 52.833; -0.382338 (Old Beck culvert)	TF090273	Bottom of Windmill Hill, Rippingale. Start of linear Roman alignment on OS map
Layby at Graby	52.84589°N 0.379076°W / 52.84589; -0.379076 (Layby at Graby)	TF092288	Modern A15 straightened in the late 20th century. Roman alignment continues into lay-by
Footpath to Graby Lane	52.8479°N 0.37839°W / 52.8479; -0.37839 (Footpath to Graby Lane)	TF093290	Roman alignment continues across field as public footpath
Graby Lane	52.85179°N 0.376201°W / 52.85179; -0.376201 (Graby Lane)	TF094294	End of footpath. Start of Modern Mareham Lane
Ford	52.85909°N 0.375624°W / 52.85909; -0.375624 (Ford)	TF094303
Dry Ford	52.891069°N 0.375180°W / 52.891069; -0.375180 (Dry Ford)	TF094338	Seasonally intermittent Stream, sometimes appears across road. Stream flows into Ouse Mere Lode
Billingborough crossroads	52.89308°N 0.37610°W / 52.89308; -0.37610 (Billingborough crossroads)	TF093340	Billingborough road, Folkingham Folkingham road, Billingborough.
Stow Green	52.902246°N 0.374673°W / 52.902246; -0.374673 (Stow Green)	TF094351	Site of Stow Fair. Site of Anglo-Saxon nunnery.
Threekinghham crossroads	52.914059°N 0.377324°W / 52.914059; -0.377324 (Threekinghham crossroads)	TF092364	Modern A52 crosses Modern Mareham Lane.
Mareham House	52.92864°N 0.379285°W / 52.92864; -0.379285 (Mareham House)	TF090380	Road junction at Spanby
Bend	52.980883°N 0.387184°W / 52.980883; -0.387184 (Bend)	TF083438	Northern end of Roman alignment on OS map. Modern road deviates, and Roman Alignment becomes unclear.
Corner	52.989179°N 0.391002°W / 52.989179; -0.391002 (Corner)	TF081447	Modern Mareham road turns left. This different alignment continues toward the old ford at Sleaford as a footpath.
Parish boundary	52.992037°N 0.392937°W / 52.992037; -0.392937 (Parish boundary)	TF079450	Modified alignment continues past modern Mareham Lane as parish boundary Public footpath alongside.
Sleaford level crossing	52.995258°N 0.408493°W / 52.995258; -0.408493 (Sleaford level crossing)	TF069453	End of modern road called Mareham Lane at Sleaford level crossing.
cropmark	52.984625°N 0.386017°W / 52.984625; -0.386017 (cropmark)	TF084442	Possible continuation of straight alignment after the bend[5]
cropmark	52.997205°N 0.385548°W / 52.997205; -0.385548 (cropmark)	TF084456	Well-founded discovery of Roman road not on expected alignment.[6]
Ruskington	53.037701°N 0.388510°W / 53.037701; -0.388510 (Ruskington)	TF081501	Well-founded discovery of Roman road to south of Ruskington, on public footpath.[7] Speculative northern continuation from Sleaford to Lincoln

See also

• High Dyke, Lincolnshire
• King Street (Roman road) Water Newton to Bourne to Ancaster, Margary number RR26