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 identified by aerial photography in 1986
and 1989, situated on the former heathland at Upton-by-Chester. It is one of
five similar sites all of the same shape and roughly the same size within the
square kilometre between Acres Lane and Long Lane, with an outlier at Plas
Newton School 200m to the south of the junction of Long Lane and the lane
leading to Upton Grange Farm. Since there are so many of these camps grouped
together, it is suggested that they were constructed as practice camps by
troops from the garrison at Chester.
The camp is enclosed by a ditch and is rectangular, with the corners rounded
in the shape of a playing card. The longer sides are 150m east to west and the
shorter sides 100m, enclosing an area of 1.5ha. The north west corner of this
enclosure has been built over and consequently destroyed by the building of a
water tower and the water pipes that attend it. There is a possible entrance
midway along the east side of the enclosure. An excavation through a section
of the ditch in 1987 showed that it is 1.5m wide and 1.45m deep with a V-cut
bottom. Inside the ditch there was a rampart, now barely visible, which has
been spread by ploughing but was originally 6m wide at the base. The ditch
filled up with silt immediately after it had been dug, suggesting no permanent
occupation of the interior. A possible outer bank or counterscarp was recorded
by the RCHME in 1989.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
25722
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
