Roman fort 300m NE of Cudmore Farm

Reasons for Designation

Roman forts served as permanent bases for auxiliary units of the Roman Army. In outline they were straight sided rectangular enclosures with rounded corners, defined by a single rampart of turf, puddled clay or earth with one or more outer ditches. Some forts had separately defended, subsidiary enclosures or annexes, allowing additional storage space or for the accommodation of troops and convoys in transit. Although built and used throughout the Roman period, the majority of forts were constructed between the mid first and mid second centuries AD. Some were only used for short periods of time but others were occupied for extended periods on a more or less permanent basis. In the earlier forts, timber was used for gateways, towers and breastworks. From the beginning of the second century AD there was a gradual replacement of timber with stone. Roman forts are rare nationally and are extremely rare south of the Severn Trent line. As one of a small group of Roman military monuments, which are important in representing army strategy and therefore government policy, forts are of particular significance to our understanding of the period. All Roman forts with surviving archaeological potential are considered to be nationally important.

The Roman fort 300m NE of Cudmore Farm survives well and is an outstanding example of its class. Roman forts are rare in the south west of England and this fort is considered to represent the best surviving example in the region.

Details

This monument includes a Roman fort situated on an east-facing promontory overlooking the valley of a small tributary of the River Batherm. The fort survives as a rectangular enclosure measuring 103m north to south by 96m east to west, bounded by a 8m wide single rampart standing up to 1m high and 4 outer ditches which survive as buried features. Within the fort the cropmarks of a number of features visible during the summer of 1992 are thought to represent contemporary buildings. Fieldwalking has recovered sherds of Roman tile and a single fragment of samian ware. The boundary wall running across the monument is excluded from the scheduling, but the ground beneath it is included.

MAP EXTRACT The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract. It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features, considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Legacy

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

Legacy System number:

22231

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Frere, S S, Britannia in Clayhanger Fort, Vol. 22, (1991), 281

Other
Frances Griffith,

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