More information : [Area SJ 654736] Condate auxillery fort Northwich, Cheshire
At the confluence of the rivers Weaver and Dane, is 'Condate' of the Antonine Itinerary (The name 'Condate' means confluence).
Condate has often been identified with Kinderton, near Middlewich, onplace name derivation, but Kinderton was anciently 'Cindretune' or 'Cynold's tun' which has nothing to do with the name of Condate. In any case the Itinerary places Condate on the direct route between Chester and Manchester which Kinderton is not. Both Stukeley (b) and Horsley (a) identified Condate with Northwich but Watkin, using the above name derivation, and the evidence of early writers, thought Kindererton was the site.
According to Watkin the Roman station at Northwich was mainly in the area called Castle Northwich on the west side of the Waever nearly opposite its junction with the Dane. No trace of a rampart is visible although in 1725 it was said that one angle remained. Finds of pottery and coins are mentioned by early writers and Watkins lists the following:-
Cinerary urns, horse trappings and coins from 'Oakleigh' Winnington Hill. [SJ 65287397]
Mortaria from Castle Northwich. (Baines (3) mentions urns with calcined bones and pottery from here).
Pottery, tiles coins and a bead from at and near Highfield [SJ 65497347.]
A large quantity of pottery when excavating for New End Cottages, Navigation Road [Name SJ 65577340].
A quern, urn and spoon at the foot of Winninton Hill.
The coins listed by Watkin are of the 1st. cent A.D. except for one of Aurelian (270-275 A.D.) (1-3)
No information of recent finds of Roman material was obtained. (4)
There is evidence of Roman occupation at Northwich on both sides of the Watling Street as it approaches the Weaver, but the character, civil or military, is uncertain. Finds, mostly south of the church (fig 23), suggest 1st-3rd century occupation. Extensive local salt deposits may be the reason for the settlement.
Excavation by D.F.Petch (Grosvenor Museum), in gardens of demolished houses before redevelopment, revealed a 1st century brine kiln similar to that at Middlewich.(SJ 76 NW 2 Thompson (5) pp 94-5 plates 43-6).
A rescue excavation, in advance of redevelopment on the west side of Castle Hill, by G.D. Coombs and Dr. G.D.B. Jones, traced foundation trenches and post holes of a Flavian-Trajanic timber building, at least 75ft (22.9m) long once rebuilt; this has been tentatively identified as a barrack building. At a higher level 2nd century timber buildings were apparently associated with civilian industrial activity, including iron-working. (5-7)
Excavation by Northwich Young Archaeologist Club, directed by J.B. Curzon, uncovered further traces at Castle Hill (SJ 656737) of Flavian timber buildings (presumed to be military). The excavations also showed evidence of 2nd century industrial settlement with timber buildings, bowl furnaces, pits and an updraft kiln producing 1st century orange buff ware. (8)
A Roman iron helmet was found in 1969 at the Castle site; also pottery (70-180 AD), a glass waste pit and coin. (9)
Excavations have established the existence of a two-phase auxilary fort (which in the space available could have been up to 5 acres), of Flavian origin. After abandonment in the mid 2nd century, part of the area examined was occupied by furnaces associated with probable metal working. A pottery kiln was also located. Interim report, description of pottery and iron helmet, excavations are continuing. The name 'CONDATE' accepted for 4th. edition R.B.Map. (10-13)
(SJ 653733) Excavations at the site of the old Zion Chapel in Beeston street revealed traces of an early 2nd century rectangular building, post holes, pits, and 2nd century pottery. Nearby at 69 Queensgate (SJ 652736), large quantities of Roman pottery and metal-work of about 100 AD were found, as well as a denarii of Mark Anthony and another of Domitian. Two trenches in Beeston Street revealed part of the west entrance of the fort. Worked flints were found during excavations at SJ 653734 in 1972.(14-16)
The site of a second fort has been found lying west of and probably partly overlapping that previously known. The area examined was the bowling green on the north side of the Chester road (see illust). A ditch 5m wide with rampart and via sagularis on the east side was found running NNW to SSE. Two successive timber buildings were located east of the street, the first parallel with the defences, the second at right-angles. Both phases of building were cut by two later ditches with a rampart on the east side. The fort had thus been reduced in size. It is provisionally suggested that the fort was first built during one of the periods in the second century when Scotland was abandoned. (17)
CONDATE - the Roman settlement at Northwich, Cheshire, at the confluence of the rivers Dane and Weaver. (18)
Further work in 1984-5 revealed more of the primary barracks noted in 1983, and found traces of the praetorium immediately to the northeast. This was a building measuring 35m NW to SE by 24.5m, with a corridor 2.5m wide along the SE side. Indications of the western angle of the defences seen in builder's trenches suggested that the NW defences ran 14m beyond the praetorium. (19)
Excavations in 1990 on Ryders St (SJ 652735) located the N defences of the fort in two sections. Pleasant St (SJ 652734), where multiple timber buildings were identified, formed part of the barrack blocks flanking the fort's W defences: these can now be shown to lie on the W side of Pleasant St. This was the final season of rescue excavation, and a full report is forthcoming. (20)
The pottery kiln was of F6 type, circular and clay-lined, it is of Trajanic date and lay within the abandoned fort; it was possibly in use between the two phases of occupation of the fort. (21) |