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Summary

Nanstallon Roman fort, occupied between 54 and 80 AD, was excavated by Fox and Ravenhill between 1965-69.

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument CO1097: Roman fort at Nanstallon

Other References/Statuses

• Cornwall SURVEY NAME (temporary): ROM
• OS No. (OS Quarter-sheet and OS No.): SX06NW 2
• Primary Record No. (1985-2009): 26088
• SMR No. (OS Quarter-sheet and SMR No.): SX06NW 6

Monument Type(s):

• FORT (Romano British - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Full description

Nanstallon Roman fort is recorded as an 'earthwork' on current OS maps, though earlier editions marked the site as a 'Roman Camp'. The line of the defences on three sides follows modern hedge banks forming the sides of a rectangle; the fourth, eastern, side is ploughed down and is visible only as a slight scarp. The Victoria County History records that, c1820, parts of the rampart and silt from the ditch were removed for dressing adjacent fields. Samian ware, coins of Vespasian, bronze rings and other small objects have also been found on the site.
Four seasons of excavations between 1965 and 1969 by Fox and Ravenhill revealed a Roman fort of 2.2 acres with turf revetted ramparts, timber angle towers, metalled roads and double gates. Although smaller than a standard Cohort Fort it contained, in construction, layout and buildings, all the essential requirements for a Roman garrison; a principia, a commander's house and barracks, latrines and a metal working site, as well as clay field ovens. Only minor modifications to buildings and none to the defences indicate a short period of occupation. Finds indicate that this occurred between 54 and 80 AD.

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Site history:
2: 1974. FLETCHER, MJ / OS
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MCLAUCHLAN, H, Notes on the Duchy Manors in Cornwall, and the Castles & Earth-works on them (Notebook). SCO27510.

<1> UNKNOWN, 1---, ROMAN REMAINS AT TREGEAR CAMP, VOL III, 235-238 (Unedited Source). SCO5324.

<2> RIC Collection, 1818-, Report of the Royal Institution of Cornwall, VOL 31, 21 (Article in Serial). SCO5716.

<3> Maclean, J, 1876, A Parochial and Family History of the Deanery of Trigg Minor, VOL 1, 114-115 (Bibliographic reference). SCO3895.

<4> Ordnance Survey, 1880s, 1st Edition 6 Inch Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4049.

<5> IAGO, W, 1890, UNKNOWN TITLE, VOL X, 211 (Unedited Source). SCO6500.

<6> Page, W (Editor), 1906, Victoria History of the County of Cornwall, VOL 5, 4 (Bibliographic reference). SCO4068.

<7> Ordnance Survey, 1970s, 1:10,000 OS Map (Cartographic materials). SCO4045.

<8> Fox, A & Ravenhill, WLD, 1966, Excavation of the Roman Fort at Tregear, Nanstallon, 1965: Interim Report, Vol 5, 28-30 (Article in Journal). SCO801.

<9> Fox, A & Ravenhill, WLD, 1967, Excavation of the Roman Fort at Tregear, Nanstallon: Second Interim Report, Vol 6, 32-34 (Article in Journal). SCO803.

<10> Fox, A & Ravenhill, WLD, 1968, Excavation of the Roman Fort at Tregear, Nanstallon: Third Interim Report, Vol 7, 40-42 (Article in Journal). SCO804.

<11> FOX, A, 1969, UNKNOWN TITLE, VOL 4, 33 (Article in Serial). SCO8007.

<12> Fox, A & Ravenhill, W, 1972, The Roman Fort at Nanstallon (Article in Journal). SCO3334.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Finds

• FCO450 - COIN (Romano British - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FCO3955 - SHERD (Romano British - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FCO3956 - SLAG (Romano British - 43 AD to 409 AD)
• FCO451 - UNIDENTIFIED OBJECT (Romano British - 43 AD to 409 AD)

Associated Events

• ECO1236 - Nanstallon
• ECO1278 - Nanstallon Roman Fort
• ECO2222 - Nanstallon Roman Fort, Tregear
• ECO2236 - Nanstallon Roman Fort, Tregear
• ECO2473 - Nanstallon Fort, Tregear Farm

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