THE impression is often given that there were only a few Roman settlements in East Lancashire and the Yorkshire borders. Nothing could be further from the truth.

A road ran through Blackburn to Ribchester and beyond this into what is now Yorkshire with huge camps at Bainbridge and especially at York.

There was a network of roads and bridges over rivers the latter usually guarded by signal towers set on the top of hills.

Elslack, a hamlet built around the 18th century inn called the Tempest Arms is now an isolated spot between Earby and Skipton.

This was once a Roman settlement set around the confluence of two streams. The Roman road to Elslack is now buried beneath grass and the present road through the village.

Over the years the old road has been raised as new layers of stone and later tar were spread on it.

On a bright, cold morning I strolled past the Tempest Arms and examined the farms and cottages.

Some of the windows are now almost at road level. They were not built so low but new surfaces have been added over the centuries.

Until recent times there were two types of track. There were literally the High Ways made to allow travellers to avoid the wet and flooded valleys.

Then there were the low roads used in dry weather but over the years these have eroded and become hollow. The suburb of Holloway in London was one such eroded track.

The Elslack Road after Roman times became a hollow way and this is why the windows of the present houses seem to be at ground level. In the days of the Hollow Way the windows would have been the "normal" height.

There must be more Roman roads in our area and lots of Hollow Ways awaiting discovery.

I shall carry on driving and strolling to see what also turns up.