London to Brighton Way, Roman road between London and Brighton, England
The London to Brighton Way is an ancient Roman road running through Surrey and West Sussex, following a nearly straight line from London toward the south coast. The route passes through towns such as Ardingly, Haywards Heath, and Burgess Hill, crossing a mix of woodland and open countryside.
The road was built during the Roman period to link London with the south coast, and its construction used slag from iron-working sites in the Weald to reinforce the roadbed. This use of local industrial waste shows how Roman engineers adapted their methods to what was available nearby.
The place name Streatham in south London comes directly from this Roman road, showing how old routes left their mark on English geography. Travelers walking sections of the path today still pass through towns and villages whose names carry echoes of that same origin.
Between Kennington and Croydon in south London, the modern A23 follows the original Roman alignment and makes that stretch easy to trace. Further south, the path runs through woodland and open land, so sturdy footwear and a good map are useful before setting out.
The road is made up of four main alignments rather than one continuous straight line, with the longest section running between Felbridge and Clayton. This shows that Roman road builders adjusted their routes around natural features more than is commonly assumed.
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