Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.

[Nathan Ross]

Going north from London through hostile land that he has just marched through... I don't have a period map of Roman roads...

One good idea - which Michael came up with - is that Suetonius would originally have led his men towards Colchester, as that's where he believed the revolt to be. Only when he arrived at the vicinity of Godmanchester (Durovigitum) did he learn that Cerialis had been defeated. He then rerouted his march due south down Ermine Street through the margins of rebel territory to London. So going to St Albans would not be backtracking, but instead shortening his supply and communication lines while remaining in scouting range of the enemy.

Alternatively, I could see him resting his troops at St Albans after a direct march south, perhaps, and pushing on the last 21 miles to London with a light vanguard - perhaps to meet with Decianus Catus, if he didn't know he'd already fled, or to assess the possibilities of fighting a battle there once his full column arrived. That would not take him too far from his command, I would say.

Here's a map showing the fully developed Roman road network. Most of the central routes would probably be there c.AD60; the roads on the Welsh frontiers and East Anglia would not, and probably the smaller roads in the southwest and elsewhere would not yet have been constructed.

   

(source: https://imperium.ahlfeldt.se/)

EDIT:  Once again,  I have been overtaken by other posts

EDIT EDIT - this time you have overtaken me, Michael!