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; 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.
All well-preserved examples are identified as being of national importance.
Details
The monument is a Roman camp located on the edge of high ground overlooking
the River Petteril to the west. It lies 400m north west of Old Penrith Roman
fort (known to the Romans as Voreda) and a short distance west of the A6 trunk
road which here follows the line of the Roman road that connected Old Penrith
with the fort at Carlisle (known to the Romans as Luguvallium). Parts of the
camp are visible as cropmarks on aerial photographs which highlight features
such as infilled ditches. Aerial photographs show much of the north west and
north east sides of the camp and its rounded northern corner, and indicate
that it is between 90m - 100m wide. Limited excavation across the defences of
the north east side of the camp in 1977 found a V-shaped outer ditch 2.6m wide
and approximately 1m deep. The bottom of the ditch contained large cobbles
laid in silt; immediately above these were four pottery sherds of
black-burnished ware which is only found in northern England from about AD 120
onwards.
All post and wire fences, gateposts and a telegraph pole are excluded from the
scheduling, although the ground beneath these features is included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
23667
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals Other
Legal
This monument is scheduled under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979 as amended as it appears to the Secretary of State to be of national importance. This entry is a copy, the original is held by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport.
End of official list entry
