Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.

[Renatus]

And the more I look at Dorking, the more plausible it becomes. Definitely one of my top three or four sites now, although I'm still bothered by the river...

The problem with Dorking and the Stane Street hypothesis generally is that (I'm sorry; I'm on my hobby-horse again!) it takes Paulinus away from his sources of reinforcement. As far as we know, there were few troops in the south. He would be nearer to the South Coast ports but it would take weeks for reinforcements to be summoned and to arrive from the Continent. It would be no easier for whatever elements of the Second Legion remained at their base to reach him than would be the case if he had gone west. On the other hand, if he had gone west along the Portway or, as I am becoming more convinced, north up Watling Street and then west along Akeman Street, it would have been bringing him nearer to the western military zone and, ultimately, to a possible rendezvous point on the Fosse Way, where troops from the north, west and south-west could reach him with comparative ease. If, as I also think likely, he halted at the junction of Akeman Street with the Icknield Way to observe the movements of the enemy force, his reinforcements could divert on to Akeman Street at Cirencester and march from there to join him.