| Summary : The site of a Roman temporary camp surviving as an earthwork. This camp lies in pasture at a height of about 155m above OD on the shoulder of a spur, 350m south of Turret 48b on Hadrian's Wall. To the north-west there is an almost precipitous descent to the flood plain of the River Irthing, and to a shallower dry valley to the south. There are extensive views in all directions except to the west-south-west where the higher ground of the spur restricts visibility. The camp is rectilinear with maximum dimensions of 90m by 70m within a shallow ditch up to 0.3m deep. The only substantial length of rampart to survive is on the NW where it stands 0.3m high. There is a gate on the east face, slightly off-centre, with a well-preserved titulum with a bank 0.1m high and a ditch 0.1m deep. A second entrance is traceable on the north; this has been mutilated by a post medieval boundary of stone and turf which extends along part of the line of the rampart, and by a buried drain which cuts across the causeway. The titulum here is reduced to a ditch which is overlain by narrow ridge and furrow and has been disturbed at the west end by another buried drain. On the South, where the rampart lies along the crest, the ground falls away so steeply as to make the provision of an entrance there impractical. Later agricultural activity can be seen in and around the camp. The post medieval boundary turns to bisect the interior of the camp from north to south and three parallel earthen banks, 0.1m high, cross the camp from east to west, overlying the Roman defences. In the south-east there are two similar banks, one of which forms a small enclosure. Narrow ridge and furrow extends to the outer edge of the ditch on the north and south-east and appears to be contemporary with or later than the parallel banks. |
More information : (NY 6254 6612) Willowford Roman Camp (R) (Site of) (1)
On Willowford Hill, there is a well-preserved temporary camp with two gates protected by traverses, in contiguous sides. 1-1/4 acres. (2)
Noted and surveyed. (3)
The remains of the camp are slight, consisting mainly of an outward-facing scarp with a superficial external ditch, 3.0 - 4.0m wide. On the N side, part of the rampart has been obliterated by an old field bank, while at the SW angle and along two thirds of the S side the ditch is no longer evident.
Resurveyed at 1:2500 but for all practical purposes a site only. (4)
This camp has been re-assessed in connection with RCHME's survey and publication of Roman Camps in England. The following descriptive account is taken from the published text.
This camp lies in pasture at a height of about 155 m above OD on the shoulder of a spur, 350 m S of Turret 48b on Hadrian's Wall. To the N there is an almost precipitous descent to the flood plain of the River Irthing, and to the S to a shallower dry valley. There are extensive views in all directions except to the WSW where the higher ground of the spur restricts visibility.
The camp is an irregular polygon with maximum dimensions of 90 m by 70 m within a shallow ditch up to 0.3 m deep. Erosion has reduced the latter to little more than a narrow terrace in the SW quarter. The only substantial length of rampart to survive is on the NW where it stands 0.3 m high.
The E side of the camp bows outwards, although there is no topographical reason for this; its shallow symmetrical apex is marked by a gate with a comparatively well-preserved traverse which has a bank 0.1 m high and a ditch 0.1 m deep. A second entrance is traceable on the N; this has been mutilated by a later, now ruinous, wall of stone and turf which extends along part of the line of the rampart, and by a buried drain which cuts across the causeway. The traverse is reduced to a barely discernible ditch; this is overlain by narrow ridge and furrow and has been disturbed at its W end by another buried drain. On the S, where the rampart lies along the crest, the ground falls away so steeply as to make the provision of an entrance there impractical.
Later agricultural activity can be seen in and around the camp. The ruinous wall turns to bisect the interior from N to S and three parallel earthen banks, 0.1 m high, cross the camp from E to W, overlying the Roman defences. In the SE quarter there are two similar banks, one of which forms a small enclosure. Narrow ridge and furrow extends to the outer edge of the ditch on the N and SE and appears to be contemporary with or later than the parallel banks. On the N and W a modern system of buried drains, designed to avoid the camp, has impinged on the defences in places. A glacial erratic boulder, known as Greystone, lies within the SE angle of the camp. Full information is included in the NMR Archive. (5)
Additional references. (6-7)
The earthwork remains of Willowford Roman camp described by the previous authorities were seen on aerial photographs at NY 6254 6611 and mapped mapped from historical aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Hadrian's Wall NMP project. The enclosing bank of the camp could be seen in its entirity. The camp is surrounded and also partially filled with the remains of post-medieval cultivation in the form of narrow ridge and furrow, and is bisected by one of the associated post medieval sodcast field boundaries. (8)
Located on the English Heritage map of Hadrian's Wall 2010. (9)
The Roman camp is visible as earthworks on air photographs and digital elevation models derived from Environment Agency lidar and Structure from Motion taken from 2017 specialist oblique photography, and was mapped by Historic England as part of the English Heritage Trust's 'Hadrian's Wall: Birdoswald Sector Survey'. The site was also assessed on the ground as part of this survey. The camp is defined by a slightly irregular rectangular enclosure measuring 79 metres by 95 metres. The full circuit of the outer ditch is visible on the DEMs, though in places is obscured on photographs by dense vegetation. The DEM data shows ploughed-down remnants of the inner rampart along the west, north and part of the east walls. Entrances are visible along the north and east faces, with titulum opposing these entrances. The camp is overlain by post medieval sod-cast boundary banks (1612428), along both the north face and through the centre of the enclosure.
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