Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.

[Nathan Ross]

Boudica's army, led by various Chieftains, all finding the resources they need travelling along a Roman road and not feeling vulnerable.

If they wanted to find places to attack and plunder, the Roman roads would lead them there! 

More generally, there's no particular reason why the Britons would follow the road network - although in places like the Chilterns the roads probably followed earlier tracks, which would have used the best available routes anyway.

We should consider, as well, that neither the Britons nor the Romans had anything like a modern map. The Romans had itineraries telling them which road would lead them where, and how long it might take to get there, which would allow a certain amount of long-distance strategy and coordination. The Britons would have known their own tribal homeland. Beyond that both of them were dependent on local guides to lead them.

If either force moved further than 20 miles or so from the other (a day's effective scouting range, out and back) they would have no idea of the enemy's location or direction of march, and would be operating totally in the dark.

What about Suetonius preparing defences around his position?

Nothing in our sources mentions it. He was choosing a battlefield, not building a fortress.

His idea, as I see it, was to get the Britons to attack him on a restricted frontage. They would have been a lot less likely to do this if he was in a securely fortified position - they could have just surrounded him and waited...