| Summary : The site of Carrawburgh (BROCOLITIA) Roman Fort. Substantial earthwork remains of the fort are attached to Hadrian's Wall. The defences, enclosing an area of 1.4 hectares, had consisted of a stone wall backed by an earthen rampart, but the site has suffered badly from robbing and former cultivation, and it now survives mainly as a turf-covered scarp or as a bank, up to 0.5 metres high internally. Short stretches of the outer wall face can be seen towards the south end of the west side, exposed for not more than one course; masonry is visible in the south guardchamber of the west gate and in the interval tower between the west gate and the south-west angle, both having been excavated. The north rampart lies beneath the modern road. Outside the wall was a berm, about 4 metres wide, still visible for most of the periphery as a terrace 2 metres below the crest of the rampart. Beyond this there were two, possibly three ditches, but the double ditches only survive in the south-west. The fort interior has been disturbed by stone-robbers, farmers and early excavators, and most of the low turf-covered scarps now remaining form no coherent pattern. The fort is in private hands but open to the public. |
More information : [NY 8591 7117] Brocolitia. (1)
The fort measures approximately 450 ft. N-S by 350 ft. E-W may have been built as late as circa. A.D. 130-132. Little excavation has taken place but in 1934 it was found that the Vallum, clearly underlay the fort and had been filled in to make way for the fort's construction. In June 1875, a hoard of 66 denarii, ranging from Mark Antony to Geta, was found under a large boulder in the centre of the fort. (2-3)
The remains of the fort are still well defined, but extensively mutilated by stone robbing around three sides. Fragmentary remains of internal structures are exposed in places around the ramparts, and a large stone, carrying an embossed phallic symbol, is recumbent within the fort, the ramparts vary in height between 1.0m - 3.2m with the maximum on the W. Re-surveyed at 1:2500. (4)
Trial excavations in 1967 by D.J. Breeze for Durham Univ. Excavation Committee detected not less than three building periods, but provided little dating evidence, although occupation continued until after A.D. 367. (5)
Further work on the South and West sides of the Principia was undertaken in 1969 (see plan). Period II is dated by pottery to c.A.D. 200; subsequent alterations to rooms VI-VIII are undated but are likely to be due to subsidence over the Vallum ditch rather than to any form of enemy action. The hypocaust inferred in room II seems not to have been completed and examination of the front of the South Gate (porta decumana) of the fort found borth portals blocked with reused masonry. (6)
The archaeological history of the fort, identified as Brocolitia (7), has been summarised by Birley up to 1961 (2) and by Daniels to 1978 (8). There was a major excavation programme between 1967 and 1969 (9). In August 1984 RCHME Newcastle produced an analytical 1:1000 plan of the fort and the surrounding area, together with a full account of the remains; these are held in the NMR. The defences, enclosing an area of 1.4 hectares, had consisted of a stone wall backed by an earthen rampart, but the site has suffered badly from robbing and former cultivation, and it now survives mainly as a turf-covered scarp or as a bank, up to 0.5m high internally. Short stretches of the outer wall face can be seen towards the S end of the W side, exposed for not more than one course; masonry is visible in the S guardchamber of the W gate and in the interval tower between the W gate and the SW angle, both having been excavated. The N rampart lies beneath the modern road. Outside the wall was a berm, about 4m wide, still visible for most of the periphery as a terrace 2m below the crest of the rampart. Beyond this there were two, possibly three ditches, but the double ditches only survive in the SW. The fort interior has been disturbed by stone-robbers, farmers and early excavators, and most of the low turf-covered scarps now remaining form no coherent pattern. The fort is in private hands but open to the public (10). Full summary of the extent and state of preservation of the remains (11). (7-11)
Scheduled (12)
The Roman fort of Brocolitia was seen as an earthwork and mapped from air photographs. The remains are as descibed by previous authorities. (13)
Located on the English Heritage map of Hadrian's Wall 2010. (14) |