oad leads from Bow-Bridge to Danett's Hall, the seat of
Edward Alexander, M.D. The ground here rising in a gentle slope obtains
a command of the town, and that the dryness of the soil and agreeableness
of the situation, mark it as a desirable spot for residence, even the
taste of the antient Romans may prove; for in the plot of ground known by
the name of the "great cherry orchard," remains a relic of one of their
houses. This is a fragment of a tesselated floor, discovered a few years
ago, but covered over by a former possessor of the estate. It is
composed of tesseroe of various sizes, forming an elegant geometrical
pattern, but how far it extends, has not yet been ascertained.

Among the great number of these pavements found at Leicester, are three
very perfect ones discovered in the ground belonging to Walter Ruding
Esq. adjoining the old Vauxhall, near the west bridge--they also are
composed in curious and exact patterns, and form entire squares; but are
now filled up. Of these, together with that in the great cherry orchard,
very accurate plates are given in Nichols.

To the westward of Danett's Hall, and West-cotes, the seat of Mr. Ruding,
is a lane or bridle road, commonly called the Fosse, but various reasons
lead to the belief that it is not part of the antient Roman road of that
name. The unvarying testimony of tradition has clearly proved that the
road from the town westward lay, in the reign of Richard the third, over
Bow-Bridge. By attending to the Fosse, which runs nearly in the line of
the Narborough road by West-cotes, it will seem likewise necessary to
conclude that the approach to Leicester, in the time of the Romans, was
also over a bridge situate near that spot; for as it is certain that the
Fosse did pass thro' Leicester, and the Romans in forming their roads
scrupulously adhered to the strait line, they would cross the old Soar
near this place.

When the Romans penetrated into Britain under the reign of Claudius, they
found it almost in every part, crowded with woods, and infested with
morasses; and as the natives well knew how to avail themeslves of these
fastnesses, the island could never be considered as effectually conquered
till it was rendered accessible to the march of the legions, and means
were provided for speedy communication of intelligence from even the most
distant parts of the provinces. On this account their Cohorts early
applied themselves to the task of forming roads; nor