| Summary : Earthwork remains of a Roman temporary camp. The remains of this camp are situated at the E end of a spur at about 215 m OD, 70 m S of the Vallum and 150 m N of Seatsides camp 2. The area, which is now improved pasture land showing faint traces of ridge-and-furrow oriented N to S, has been extensively ploughed. On the N and E good natural protection is provided by the steep slopes that drop away to a deep gully. This is occupied by a tributary of the Brackies Burn which itself runs E to W at the base of a gentle slope about 80 m S of the camp. This offers limited natural defences on this side, but there is no defence at all along the flat top of the spur to the W. For most of its course the rampart has been reduced to little more than a slight outer scarp, often barely visible. Because it is so mutilated along the N side it is now impossible to ascertain the exact size of the camp as a whole. Probably a parallelogram in plan, it must have measured about 145 m internally from E to W by about 100 m transversely, giving an area of about 1.4 ha (3.6 acres). The turn of the NE corner is just discernable as a much reduced outward-facing scarp up to 0.2 m high. The rampart as a whole on the E side is about 5 m wide and mainly evident as an outer scarp nowhere more than 0.4 m high. It is slightly better preserved at the S end where there are faint traces of an outer ditch measuring 0.2 m in maximum depth. The centrally placed entrance, visible as a break about 6 m wide, has only the slightest remins of the inner scarp of a traverse about 6 m outside it. The defences are best preserved at the SE corner where the outer scarp of the rampart survives to a height of 0.6 m. The S side is little more than an outward-facing scarp, up to 0.4 m high, with only a faint suggestion of an outer ditch. It is mutilated by several small breaks caused by later cultivation, by field drains that cross the camp diagonally, and by an old N to S fence line visible on aerial photos. |
More information : [NY 75096675] ROMAN CAMP [G.S.] (1)
Roman temporary camp with three gates all with traverses. The north side and NE angle quite gone except for a trace of the ditch approaching the NW angle. The sides are not quite at right angles and its condition is rather poor. (2)
Surveyed at 1/2500. Generally as described, but with no visible remains of a traverse on the east side. (3)
The remains are so reduced as to make the camp not easily distinguishable under pasture. For all practical purposes a site. (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.
The remains of this camp are situated at the E end of a spur at about 215 m OD, 70 m S of the Vallum and 150 m N of Seatsides camp 2. The area, which is now improved pasture land showing faint traces of ridge-and-furrow oriented N to S, has been extensively ploughed. On the N and E good natural protection is provided by the steep slopes that drop away to a deep gully. This is occupied by a tributary of the Brackies Burn which itself runs E to W at the base of a gentle slope about 80 m S of the camp. This offers limited natural defences on this side, but there is no defence at all along the flat top of the spur to the W. For most of its course the rampart has been reduced to little more than a slight outer scarp, often barely visible. Because it is so mutilated along the N side it is now impossible to ascertain the exact size of the camp as a whole. Probably a parallelogram in plan, it must have measured about 145 m internally from E to W by about 100 m transversely, giving an area of about 1.4 ha (3.6 acres). The turn of the NE corner is just discernable as a much reduced outward-facing scarp up to 0.2 m high. The rampart as a whole on the E side is about 5 m wide and mainly evident as an outer scarp nowhere more than 0.4 m high. It is slightly better preserved at the S end where there are faint traces of an outer ditch measuring 0.2 m in maximum depth. The centrally placed entrance, visible as a break about 6 m wide, has only the slightest remins of the inner scarp of a traverse about 6 m outside it. The defences are best preserved at the SE corner where the outer
scarp of the rampart survives to a height of 0.6 m. The S side is little more than an outward-facing scarp, up to 0.4 m high, with only a faint suggestion of an outer ditch. It is mutilated by several small breaks caused by later cultivation, by field drains that cross the camp diagonally, and by an old N to S fence line visible on aerial photographs (CUCAP ATV 60-6; RC 8 CP 181-2; RAF 1069 UK 1392, 3275-7 (5a)). The entrance, about 60 m from the SE corner, is only just discernable as a very slight break about 5 m wide with the remains of the S-facing scarp of a traverse about 12 m outside it. The curve of the SW corner is still just evident. The removal of an E to W field wall to facilitate ploughing has greatly reduced the earthworks of the W side to a W-facing outer scarp measuring 0.2 m in maximum height; a slight suggestion of an outer ditch at the S end was too indeterminate to survey. There is now no trace of the entrance, which was close to the line of the former field wall; it was still visible in 1980, guarded by a traverse 12 m outside the line of the rampart. At the NW corner and along the N side the presence of hollow-ways cutting across the area make interpretation of the remains almost impossible. It may be significant that at a point opposite the S entrance a deep hollow-way descends the slope to cross the stream; however no direct evidence of a N gate or traverse survives. This hollow-way penetrated some 30 m southwards into the camp as far as a modern dry stone wall crossing the camp from E to W, but otherwise the interior is featureless. Full information is included in the NMR Archive. (5)
Additional reference. (6)
Published reference. (7)
This camp is visible as very degraded earthworks on air photographs and was mapped as part of the Hadrian's Wall National Mapping Project. As stated above, the eastern side of the camp is the best preserved with both bank and ditch visible for the southern half of its length. For the southern and eastern sides only fragmentary traces of the bank and ditch are visible . A 40 metre section of ditch, centred at NY 75066 66817, may mark the course of northern side of the camp; two parallel ditches just to the south of this, centred at NY 75079 66807, lie both perpendicular and parallel to existing field boundaries, so may represent former boundaries, although nothing is marked on historical OS mapping. Other linear banks in the interior of the camp are similarly interpreted as possible boundaries of medieval or post medieval date and are recorded separately. The holloway mentioned above which descends to the stream runs across the entire width of the camp and extends beyond its southern side; the hollow way's southern extent, at least, appears to be of later date than the camp and is recorded separately (NY 76 NE 442). Neither of the titulae identified by the field survey recorded above were identified. (8-10)
Located on the English Heritage map of Hadrian's Wall 2010. (11) |