Roman camp, 250m north-west of Silloans

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.

Despite some damage by later works, the Roman temporary camp at Silloans is well preserved and is a good example of its type. It is one of the largest and earliest of a network of camps in Redesdale associated with Dere Street and the fort of High Rochester and will contribute to our understanding of the Roman occupation of northern Britain.

Details

The monument includes a Roman temporary camp situated on a gentle south-east facing slope. Dere Street, the Roman road from Corbridge to Newstead in Scotland, bisects the camp and passes through its northern and southern gateways. The camp is rectangular in shape with rounded corners and measures a maximum of 520m north-south by 370m east-west within an earth and stone bank 3.5m wide and 0.5m high. There is an external ditch 4m wide on all sides although it cannot now be traced for much of the east side. Gateways are located in each of the four sides although that on the west is not now visible. The eastern and western gateways are protected externally by a detached length of rampart and ditch known as a traverse, placed across it at a distance and blocking the direct line of access into the camp. There are no features visible on the ground within the camp but traces of occupation will be preserved beneath ground level. The camp is earlier than Dere Street and therefore dates from the Roman occupation of Britain in the first century AD. It is large enough to have been used on a temporary basis by an expeditionary force to Scotland. The metalled road which bisects the camp from north to south, the road to Silloans Farm, the tarmac turning area at the northern end of the camp, the base of the barrier and all fences which are situated within the area of the camp are excluded from the scheduling but the ground beneath all of these features 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:

20945

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Richmond, I A, Northumberland County History xv in The Romans in Redesdale, (1940), 118-125
Richmond, I A, St Joseph, K, Proc Soc Antiq Ncle ser 4 9 1939-41 in Proc Soc Antiq Ncle ser 4 9 1939-41, (1941), 110-113

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