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 includes a Roman camp located as a crop mark on an aerial
photograph in 1994. The differential growth of crops on the more fertile ditch
fills on this site are clearly visible from the air for the length of three
sides of this rectangular enclosure.
The camp is in a field to the west of the road from Christelton to Whitchurch,
the A41. Part of the area of the camp has been destroyed by the road and the
house foundations on Eggbridge Lane. These areas are not included in the
scheduling. The visible long side of the parallelogram is to the north west
and measures 120m to the corner 20m from road edge. The south western side
measures 80m with a clear entrance gap in the middle 15m wide. The south
eastern side extends for 40m before the road edge cuts it off. The original
camp would have covered an area of 1.2ha making it smaller than many of the
known examples and possibly earlier than most. The camp is situated on a route
to the east of the River Dee from the Roman town at Whitchurch to Chester.
The road hedges and the road surface 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:
25715
Legacy System:
RSM
End of official list entry
