Colmare and the romain roads

The strong Roman presence in Cailly and Saint André is corroborated by the discovery in the 18th and 19th centuries of remains, debris, mosaics and an amphitheatre, and several Gallo-Roman "treasures" including one at La Rue St Pierre.

Cailly is an ancient spot and, as Abbé Cochet asserts, it was, with Saint André, only one locality: the military on the plateau, the cult and trade in the valley.

The Roman roads converging towards Cailly connected the land of the Vellocasses - in the North, the northern end of the Calets land – in the West, Belgian Gaul- to the East and Lutèce.

They connected Arques - capital of Talou (as the tradition says "it is to go to the Baile d'Arques that the fairies left the city of Rouen"), Lillebonne, Rouen - capital of Lugdunensis Secunda, Amiens, Radepont and Paris. (see Seine Inférieure historique et archéologique by Abbé Cochet).

It is still possible to follow the traces of these tracks on Ordnance Survey maps at 1/25000 and Cassini maps on Geoportal, helped in this by the evocation of their existences through the words: name of localities like Street (La Rue St Pierre, VieilleRue, Longuerue...), Causeway or Fairies.

Thus the way went from Radepont to Arques via la Rue St Pierre and Cailly.

What is remarkable is the presence of a junction between the different Roman routes converging towards Cailly and it can be observed that the communes of La Rue St Pierre, Saint Germain sous Cailly, Esteville, Yquebeuf and Colmare are located at the junction points.

This suggests that, given the infrastructure identified (amphitheatre, ruins, route plots, etc.), the ancient point of Cailly/Saint André was a strategic position of prime importance, where, thanks to these junction routes, military moves were facilitated.

You can still travel its 19 kms, only 2 kms have disappeared around Esteville.