Broadbury Castle Roman camp

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.

Despite ploughing, Broadbury Castle Roman camp survives well and contains information relating to the military and strategic use of this area during the Roman period.

Details

This monument includes a Roman marching camp located on the summit of a high ridge known as Broadbury. The monument survives as a rectangular enclosure with rounded corners, an enclosing rampart, outer ditch and second rampart on the northern and eastern sides. The internal dimensions of the enclosure are 69m long from east to west and 61.24m wide from north to south. The rampart survives best to the north and east but is clearly visible on all sides. It measures up to 5.6m wide and 0.6m high internally. The outer ditch survives on all sides and measures up to 5.4m wide and 0.5m deep. The outer rampart survives as a slight earthwork measuring up to 7.7m wide.

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:

30331

Legacy System:

RSM

Sources

Books and journals
Maxfield, V A, Devon Archaeological Society Proceedings in Excavations At Ashbury In 1983 With A Note On Broadbury Castle, Vol. 43, (1985), 51-8

End of official list entry

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