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 on Stamford Heath revealed as a cropmark by
an aerial photograph and confirmed by a field survey in 1987. The enclosure is
on the alluvial terrace above the River Gowy on the west side and 150m to the
south of the Roman road, the course of which is followed by the modern Tarvin
Road. It is bisected by a hedge with drain separating two fields.
The monument is surrounded by a bank with an outer ditch and traces of a
counterscarp in the form of a rectangle with the corners rounded in the
characteristic shape of a Roman earthwork camp. The sides of the enclosure
measure 160m from east to west and 120m from north to south. The area enclosed
is 1.5ha and is therefore similar to the examples of Roman camps at Upton
Heath 4km to the west. The bank averages 8m wide at the base and only 0.2m
high, having been reduced by ploughing since its desertion. The outer ditch is
6m wide and 0.2m deep and remains waterlogged. Outside this a counterscarp 10m
wide and 0.2m high is traceable on the south and east sides. An entrance on
the east side is marked by a gap 7m wide at a point roughly central in the
rampart. There is a corresponding gap in the counterscarp. The site is
overlain by ridge and furrow, the remains of medieval or post-medieval
cultivation, and is currently under cultivation for cereal crops. The post and
wire fence is not included in the scheduling, although the ground beneath is
included.
Legacy
The contents of this record have been generated from a legacy data system.
Legacy System number:
25730
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
