I welcome Mr Hallmann's expertise in support of the Broomway as a possible Roman road (Echo, Jan 12).

I know that we are speculating, but his suggestion it may have something to do with salt production has great merit.

Salt was a very important product in the past.

The question is, what evidence is there of salt production on the lands between Foulness and Shoebury? We know of salt production on Canvey, the so-called red hills, and elsewhere on the Essex coast.

Could it have been from drying lagoons, as you can see today in Malta and the South of France?

Who knows? It beats the idea that the Broomway was built to provide access for sheep farming - an idea lauded by some local archaeologists. I can see the Broomway as some sort of quay. The ships drift in and settle at low tide for loading, then they sail on the next tide with salt enough for the whole Roman army.

Whatever it was, the Broomway was important.

Who, in the past, could build a five-mile hard-surfaced road straight as a die?

If ragstone, it had to come from quarries up the Medway. For this you need organisation and labour. The road had to be surveyed and built.

In the Middle Ages, England couldn't build a road from one village to the next.

So who is going to dig it up and put the matter to rest?

Ralph Walker
Holland Road
Westcliff