Roman Camp, 750m SSW of Sills Farm

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 camp 750m SSW of Sills Farm is part of a large network of Roman military sites clustered around Bremenium Roman Fort and Dere Street. The camp is well preserved and is a good example of its type. It will continue to contribute to our understanding of the Roman conquest and occupation of northern Britain.

Details

The monument includes a Roman camp situated on the haugh between Sills Burn to the east and Dere Street, the Roman road from Corbridge to Newstead in Scotland. The camp is rectangular in shape with rounded corners and measures a maximum of 75m east-west by 220m north-south within an earthen bank 3.5m wide and 1.5m above the bottom of an external ditch 3.5m wide. A substantial part of the eastern side of the camp has been levelled by ploughing. Gateways are located in the north and south sides protected by external claviculae, an extension of the rampart which curves inwards and blocks the direct line of access into the camp. Roman camps with this form of defensive gateway are more common in the first century AD and this one is large enough to have been used on a temporary basis by groups advancing northwards and also by smaller groups engaged in routine maintenance. The fence line which clips the south eastern corner of the monument is excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath 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:

20948

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

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

Other
MCD: Roman Camps,

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