| Summary : Cropmark of a Roman temporary camp. The greater part of the perimeter of a camp has been recorded as cropmarks to the N of Gammaton Moor, at the N end of a ridge which forms some of the highest ground on the E edge of the Torridge valley. The S half of the camp occupies the gentle E knoll of a local summit, at about 150 m above OD. The knoll is aligned from E to W and gives extensive views in all directions. The SW slope of the lower W knoll has been cut into by the triple ditches of an enclosure. These earthworks, now levelled, have consistently produced much more pronounced cropmarks than that of the camp. The relationship between the two sites is uncertain. The topography and the wholesale removal of former field boundaries have made the transcription of the cropmarks particularly difficult. Nevertheless, it seems that the camp enclosed an area of about 1.6 ha within its ditch. The excavation of a drainage trench in 1978 across the S and W sides suggested that the ditch was about 1.3 m wide; however, the upcast material had been completely levelled and below the plough-soil the ditch only survived to a depth of 0.5 m. The layout of the camp is rather unusual in relation to the topography. The W side was set out so as to cut across the slight saddle between the knolls, immediately outside the triple-ditched enclosure. The S defences, positioned down the hillside, would not have been intervisible with the rest of the perimeter or with most of the interior. These cropmarks are extremely faint and consequently no SE corner has been transcribed. A simple gate is visible close to the centre of the N side, which itself seems to have been realigned slightly at this point; the recorded line of the S ditch may suggest a similar arrangement there. An apparent gap in the cropmark of the W ditch may perhaps also indicate the presence of a gate; on the E side, however a former field boundary crossed the defences, obscuring the cropmarks. |
More information : SS 493255. A Roman temporary camp near Alverdiscott. The greater part of the perimeter including the north, south and west gates, can be laid down on a plan. The dimensions are about 450 feet from north to south, by 370 feet. (1)
Under plough: no visible remains. (2)
In March 1978 a drainage trench was cut across the SW angle of the camp. Excavation was not possible but sections through the south and west ditches were cleaned and recorded. No trace of an inner bank was observed and from the available evidence it is unclear whether the ditch silted up naturally or was deliberately back-filled when the site was abandoned. Estimates based on the sections suggest that the ditch averaged about 1.3m wide and 0.5m deep. (3)
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.
The greater part of the perimeter of a camp has been recorded as cropmarks to the N of Gammaton Moor, at the N end of a ridge which forms some iof the highest ground on the E edge of the Torridge valley (St Joseph 1977, 126, fig 1 (see auth 1); CUCAP BUN 48 (4a)). The S half of the camp occupies the gentle E knoll of a local summit, at about 150 m above OD. The knoll is aligned from E to W and gives extensive views in all directions. The SW slope of the lower W knoll has been cut into by the triple ditches of an enclosure. These earthworks, now levelled, have consistently produced much more pronounced cropmarks than that of the camp (Silvester 1978, 252-3 (see auth 3)). The relationship between the two sites is uncertain.
The topography and the wholesale removal of former field boundaries have made the transcription of the cropmarks particularly difficult. Nevertheless, it seems that the camp enclosed an area of about 1.6 ha within its ditch. The excavation of a drainage trench in 1978 across the S and W sides suggested that the ditch was about 1.3 m wide; however, the upcast material had been completely levelled and below the plough-soil the ditch only survived to a depth of 0.5 m (Silvester 1978, 251-2 (see auth 3)).
The layout of the camp is rather unusual in relation to the topography. The W side was set out so as to cut across the slight saddle between the knolls, immediately outside the triple-ditched enclosure. The S defences, positioned down the hillside, would not have been intervisible with the rest of the perimeter or with most of the interior. These cropmarks are extremely faint and consequently no SE corner has been transcribed.
A simple gate is visible close to the centre of the N side, which itself seems to have been realigned slightly at this point; the recorded line of the S ditch may suggest a similar arrangement there. An apparent gap in the cropmark of the W ditch may perhaps also indicate the presence of a gate; on the E side, however a former field boundary crossed the defences, obscuring the cropmarks. Full information is included in the NMR Archive. (4)
Additional reference. (5) |