Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.

[Nathan Ross]

It's a long read but well worthwhile (maybe).

It certainly is, and I've read through it several times with great interest. Unfortunately I've never been able to get any of your attached maps and files to load though.

At the very least they may demonstrate... that going west along the Portway from London was the most obvious and sensible thing for Suetonius.

We've discussed this many times, but it still seems to me that a northward retreat to St Albans, and a battle site very close to there, would make far more strategic sense - many of the reasons are mentioned in your paper, while Deryk lists a few more in his post above, although ultimately these debates are almost entirely subjective and based on numerous unknowable factors. The fact that Tacitus mentions St Albans (and not Silchester) cannot be overlooked, however.

neither are suitable because they could be too readily flanked. Ranked sites 94 and 99 are within a topographic depression but generally are very poorly placed, hence the low ranking.

Thanks for the map - I'd noticed 94 and 99 on one of your larger maps and wondered where they might be, but couldn't get your full site list to open...

The site could, of course, be flanked (like almost every other site in southern England, to some extent!), but it would involve a lengthy detour of several miles which would not escape the attention of the Romans, I think.

the best site along the Portway-Silchester route is at Ogbourne St. George

I've never really warmed to Ogbourne, as it has a river running through it and appears to be directed into a narrow valley rather than out of one - but again we've discussed such things before.

Looking at your final list (p.77) - if we remove those sites which have rivers passing through or adjacent to the proposed Roman position (Dorking, Berkhamstead, Ogbourne and Donhead St Andrew) the top site appears to be Shalbourne; the terrain there is very good, but (as you say in the paper) probably requires too distant a diversion from any route that either side might be following. That leaves Tring Station and Newground occupying four of the remaining top spots - which I would say is entirely justified.