A GROUP of amateur archaeologists were not looking for anything unusual when they took a winter stroll through a wood.

But they stumbled across a find that could send shockwaves through the historical world.

Retired archaeologist Raymond Selkirk was leading his band of farmers, mothers, professionals and others on an outing through Brusselton Wood near Bishop Auckland, County Durham.

But when the Northern Archaeology Group spotted cobbles unearthed by heavy rains, they knew immediately that they had found a part of Dere Street, the Roman route from York to Crammond, near Edinburgh.

Historians had thought the street was the Roman equivalent of a motorway and used to transport heavy cargo.

But this myth has been shattered by the group, who found that the road was only 4ft wide. They believe it was a fast response route for Roman police to reach trouble spots quickly.

Group member Brenda Ludvigsen, of Houghton-le-Spring, said: "The lines of heavy kerbstones were still in place on both sides of the road. No Roman wagon ever negotiated this section of the so-called major Roman highway. This little road was more like a path."

Mr Selkirk said: "No wagon ever went through Brusselton Wood, as Roman wagons had wheels which were 6ft apart.

"The heavy stuff people previously thought was carried on these roads would have been moved by river. This road was for swift movement of single file troops."