Roman fort NE of Buckton

Summary

Roman camp 470m west of Buckton Park.

Reasons for Designation

Roman camps are rectangular or sub-rectangular enclosures which were constructed and used by Roman soldiers either when out on campaign or as practice camps and most campaign camps were only temporary overnight bases and few were used for longer periods. They were bounded by a single earthen rampart and outer ditch and in plan are always straight-sided with rounded corners. Normally they have between one and four entrances, although as many as eleven have been recorded. Such entrances were usually centrally placed in the sides of the camp and were often protected by additional defensive outworks. Roman camps are found throughout much of England, although most known examples lie in the midlands and north. Around 140 examples have been identified and, as one of the various types of defensive enclosure built by the Roman Army, particularly in hostile upland and frontier areas, they provide an important insight into Roman military strategy and organisation.

Despite cultivation the Roman camp 470m west of Buckton Park survives comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, longevity, function, strategic and military significance, internal arrangements, relationship with nearby monuments and overall landscape context.

History

See Details.

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 27 May 2015. The record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

The monument includes a Roman camp situated on a gentle north facing slope just above the River Teme on a slight spur which strategically hides it from view from the river valley. The camp survives as entirely buried structures, features and deposits. It is also visible on aerial photographs as crop and soil marks. A roughly rectangular enclosure measuring approximately 122m long by 100m wide is defined on all except the northern side by a ditch visible on the aerial photographs. The northern extent is not entirely clear but the overall enclosed area is approximately 1.5ha. There is a slight break in the southern ditch indicating a probable gateway. The Roman camp is closely associated with Buckton Roman fort (scheduled separately) and has long been believed to represent either its temporary precursor or a labour camp associated with the larger fort.

Legacy

The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.

Legacy System number:

HE 161

Legacy System:

RSM - OCN

Sources

Other
PastScape 106870, Herefordshire SMR 198

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