The road that built England

The North Road opens with its author at Catterick , working with a trowel to unearth long-dead Romans .

After all, the A1 began as Ermine Street , built to give the Romans access to York .

Many still exist, albeit half -forgotten where the road’s route has shifted to bypass villages.

For 1,900 of its 2,900 years , the Great North Road had no traffic, there was not even a motorcoach.

In 1600 , it took four days to get from London to York , by 1830 it took 20 hours .

Cowen writes that the king on his journey was entertained most lavishly at Huntingdon by one Oliver Cromwell , uncle of the parliamentarian.

Cromwell the younger was likewise a child of the North Road , and he features in a chapter entitled Leave/Remain ’.