Two Roman camps, 550m east of Burdhopecrag Hall

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.

The two camps east of Burdhopecrag Hall are part of a large network of Roman military sites clustered around Bremenium Roman Fort and Dere Street. The smaller camp is exceptionally well preserved and both are good examples of their type. They will contribute to our understanding of the Roman conquest and occupation of northern Britain.

Details

The monument includes two Roman camps, one within the other, situated on a gentle north-east facing slope 200m south-west of Dere Street Roman road. The first camp, now rather fragmentary but clearly visible on aerial photographs, is trapezoidal in shape. It is visible as a slight, fragmentary rampart 4m wide on three sides with gateways in the south and west sides, the latter with traces of an internal clavicula, an inturned extension of the rampart. The northern side of the camp is visible in parts as a slight, narrow ditch. The camp has maximum dimensions of 311m north-south by 372m east-west. The second camp is situated within the first and is exceptionally well preserved; it is sub-rectangular in shape with rounded corners. It measures a maximum of 205m north-south by 175m east-west within a prominent earthen bank 4m wide and 1.5m above an external ditch 3m wide. Gateways 10.5m wide exist in all four sides of the camp and all are protected by external detached lengths of rampart known as traverses, although that on the north has been severely reduced. The new security perimeter fence of Redesdale Camp which runs through the southern edge of the scheduled area 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:

20946

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Richmond, I A, Northumberland County History xv in The Romans in Redesdale, (1940), 120-122

Other
NY 89 NW 10,
St Joseph, K, Proc Soc Antiq Ncle ser 4 vol 6, (1934)

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