Reasons for Designation
Roman forts served as permanent bases for auxiliary units of the Roman Army.
In outline they were straight sided rectangular enclosures with rounded
corners, defined by a single rampart of turf, puddled clay or earth with one
or more outer ditches. Some forts had separately defended, subsidiary
enclosures or annexes, allowing additional storage space or for the
accommodation of troops and convoys in transit. Although built and used
throughout the Roman period, the majority of forts were constructed between
the mid first and mid second centuries AD. Some were only used for short
periods of time but others were occupied for extended periods on a more or
less permanent basis. In the earlier forts, timber was used for gateways,
towers and breastworks. From the beginning of the second century AD there was
a gradual replacement of timber with stone.
Roman forts are rare nationally and are extremely rare south of the Severn
Trent line. As one of a small group of Roman military monuments, which are
important in representing army strategy and therefore government policy, forts
are of particular significance to our understanding of the period. All Roman
forts with surviving archaeological potential are considered to be nationally
important.
Details
The monument includes the site of a Roman fort and adjacent settlement. It is
located on a raised river terrace, south of a bend of the River Ure to the
west of Boroughbridge. The monument was identified by geophysical survey and
the presence and nature of the remains were confirmed by a series of
excavations adjacent to the monument. The geophysical survey revealed three
sides of rectangular, double ditched enclosure with rounded corners
characteristic of Roman forts. A road was revealed extending east-west to the
north of the fort which was connected to it by a short spur-road. Also
revealed by the survey were defensive outworks beyond the road and settlement
which take the form of concentric and overlapping lengths of ditch, a
characteristic additional defence associated with first century AD military
sites.
The settlement lies to the east and north of the fort, where a series of
tracks, ditches and buildings were identified. The survey results were tested
by excavations carried out along the the east edge of the monument. These
produced detailed evidence of sections of the road and the outwork defences
and some timber buildings from the external settlement. Pits were also
excavated which produced evidence of industrial activity, particularly metal-
working. The excavations also showed traces of earlier Roman occupation near
to the river. This area was prone to flooding and the fort was thus
constructed on the raised ground further back from the river. The excavations
produced pottery, coins and artefacts, including body armour fittings and
coins which date the site to the first century AD.
The fort was established in the late first century AD to guard a crossing
point of the river. It was probably built shortly after AD 71 when
Petillius Cerealis began his push north into the territory of the native
Brigantes. The fort only had a short life span, being abandoned in AD 85.
After this date a fort was established at nearby Aldborough where the Roman
road from York to Scotland known as Dere Street crossed the River Ure.
All fences, gates and walls 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:
29533
Legacy System:
RSM
Sources
Books and journals
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
