See important guidance on the use of this record.

If you have any comments or new information about this record, please email us.

Summary

The northern end of a temporary Roman military camp visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs. Part of a complex of large Roman military enclosures on the east bank of the River Taw.

Location

Protected Status

• Scheduled Monument 1021151: Roman forts, marching camps and associated monuments
• SHINE: Two Roman forts (two Roman fortlets are located in northwest corner of northern fort) and two marching camps, Roman building, Roman roads, enclosures, prehistoric ring ditches, undated linears and Bathe Pool south of North Tawton

Other References/Statuses

• Old DCC SMR Ref: SS60SE/26
• Old SAM Ref: 10384.03
• Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division: SS60SE18
• SHINE Candidate (Yes)

Monument Type(s) and Dates

• TEMPORARY CAMP (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD) + Sci.Date

Full description

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 05/12/2006, Proposed Works at Roman Forts, Marching Camps and Associated Monuments, North Tawton, Devon (Correspondence). SDV350304.

Scheduled monument consent for construction of a warehouse extension, associated road access, services, parking area and pond granted providing conditions recommended by English Heritage, and set out in the letter, are adhered to.

Unknown, 1840-1849, North Tawton (Cartographic). SDV274720.

Fox, A., 1961, Twenty-Fifth Report on the Archaeology and Early History of Devon, 168-177 (Article in Serial). SDV341693.

Lambert, M. J., 1973, Roads to the Roman Camp at North Tawton, 131-139 (Article in Serial). SDV274717.

Cambridge University, 1975, CUC/BTR, 18-22, 24 (Aerial Photograph). SDV274730.

Cambridge University, 1975, CUC/BUO, 8 (Aerial Photograph). SDV237834.

Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division, 1977, SS60SE18 (Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Card). SDV274715.

St. Joseph, J. K. S., 1977, Untitled Source, 125 (Article in Serial). SDV274703.

Evidence of Roman campaigning in the south-west (the first temporary camps). Roman temporary camp, on the right side of the River Taw near North Tawton, about 500 metres north of the Roman road running east-west. To the south of the road is the fort. The whole of the north side is about 450 metres long, some 15 metres of east side, together with a rounded north-east angle and part of the curve of the north-west. Minimum area of 6.8 hectares.

Silvester, R. J., 1978, Cropmark Sites at North Tawton and Alverdiscott, 249-253 (Article in Serial). SDV274704.

Camp large enough to accommodate a full legion.

Maxfield, V. A., 1979, Roman Frontier Studies, 297 (Article in Serial). SDV274716.

Rivet, A. L. F. + Smith, C., 1979, The Place-Names of Roman Britain (Monograph). SDV274733.

Griffith, F. M., 1983, Untitled Source (Personal Comment). SDV343869.

Site visit 24th April 1983. Most of the western side of this camp has been removed or covered (since its discovery in 1975) by the construction of a series of very large barns or warehouses behind The Barton. Foundation pits for one of these inspected but no dating evidence found. All hedges in the area of the camp have been removed and it is under a grass crop. Nothing visible.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/AF, 2, 3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV237333.

Northwest corner of second camp visible to west of main camp on aerial photograph, also linear features (one double) to northwest.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/AU, 7A, 8, 9, 10 (Aerial Photograph). SDV267542.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/BE, 12 (Aerial Photograph). SDV274725.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/BN, 3 (Aerial Photograph). SDV267547.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, DAP/DD, 4 (Aerial Photograph). SDV35304.

Griffith, F. M., 1984, Roman Military Sites in Devon: Some Recent Discoveries, 11-32 (Article in Serial). SDV35308.

Discusses the entire military complex lying to the south of this camp. Also includes aerial photograph transcriptions. In addition the north-west angle of an apparent second camp has been recorded.

Griffith, F. M., 1985, A Nemeton in Devon?, 121-124 (Article in Serial). SDV224842.

Frere, S. S., 1985, Roman Britain in 1984, 305 (Article in Serial). SDV35311.

Maxwell, G. S. + Wilson, D. R., 1987, Air Reconnaissance in Roman Britain 1977-84, 1-48 (Article in Serial). SDV35314.

Griffith, F. M., 1989, DAP/LH, 1, 2, 4 (Aerial Photograph). SDV233518.

Griffith, F. M., 1993, DAP/VZ, 10, 11 (Aerial Photograph). SDV224904.

Cropmarks visible in July 1993.

Horner, B., 1993, DAP/WA, 5-12 (Aerial Photograph). SDV274741.

Exeter Museums Archaeological Field Unit, 1993, Watching Brief at 'The Barton', North Tawton, Devon (Report - Watching Brief). SDV274709.

Watching brief during construction of visibility splay in 1993 recorded no archaeological features.

Horner, B., 1994, DAP/WC, 22-25 (Aerial Photograph). SDV39277.

Welfare, H. + Swan, V., 1994, Roman Camps in England Project (Report - non-specific). SDV274735.

Griffith, F. M., 1995, DAP/YB, 3-10, 13, 14 (Aerial Photograph). SDV274742.

Griffith, F. M., 1995, DAP/YC, 1-5 (Aerial Photograph). SDV274743.

Gent, T. H., 1996, Archaeological Assessment of a Proposed Golf Course at the Hams, North Tawton, 3, 10 (Report - Assessment). SDV319191.

Exeter Archaeology, 1999, Archaeological Assessment of a Proposed Development Site at Barton Hill, North Tawton, 2 (Report - Assessment). SDV274744.

Coe, D., 2001, Report on Site Visit to Roman Camps at North Tawton (Un-published). SDV274711.

Site visit 22nd August 2001. An area 10 metres by 10 metres was levelled after two new South West Electricity Board poles were erected, creating a mound of spoil within the scheduled area.

Whiteaway, T., 2003, Archaeological Evaluation of Proposed Site of Lorry Park and Storm Water Storage Pond at the Barton, North Tawton, 2, Fig. 4 (Report - Evaluation). SDV265762.

Passmore, A. J., 2003, Archaeological Recording During Gas Main Realignment South of Newland Mill, North Tawton, 1 (Report - Survey). SDV219497.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2003, Proposed Works at Roman Forts, Marching Camps and Associated Monuments, North Tawton (Correspondence). SDV274712.

Scheduled Monument Consent granted for works concerning the construction of a lorry park and storm water storage pond with an archaeological watching brief.

Department of Environment, 2003, Roman Forts, Marching Camps and Associated Monuments (Schedule Document). SDV343864.

The monument includes a complex of large Roman military enclosures together with a series of smaller enclosures and ring-ditches in fields around The Barton on the east bank of the River Taw. The military enclosures have been identified as two forts and two marching camps. The marching camps which lie to the north of the forts, apparently enclosing The Barton, are visible as cropmarks.

Passmore, A. J., 2004, Archaeological Recording at Site of New Warehouse for Vital Dog Supplies, The Barton, North Tawton, 1-6 (Report - Watching Brief). SDV319972.

A ditch excavated in 2004 prior to the construction of a warehouse to the north of 'The Barton' appears to represent part of the western side of the cropmark interpreted as a Roman military marching camp. The ditch 1.2 metres wide by 0.5 metres deep had a distinctive though heavily trucated V-shaped profile with a rounded base and a single struck flake was recovered. Other details: Fig 3.

Department for Culture, Media and Sport, 2004, Proposed Works at Roman Forts, Marching Camps and Associated Monuments, North Tawton (Correspondence). SDV274713.

Scheduled Monument Consent granted for works concerning the construction of overhead electricity transmission lines.

Young, A., 2005, Transcriptions from Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme (NMP) project (Cartographic). SDV321540.

Transcriptions of ditches correspond to the grid reference for PRN167053. Map object partly based on this source.

Young, A. & Turner, S., 2005-2006, North Devon/Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme (NMP) project database records, PRN167053 (Interpretation). SDV358473.

A long, linear feature is visible as a single ditch on aerial photos (p1). It runs S-N for 90m, then turns to run E-W for 350m. This feature has been interpreted as the NE edge of a Roman marching camp. It has been digitally plotted as part of the National Mapping Programme.
Photograph reference:
1. CUCAP BTR 021-2 03-JUL-1975

GSB Prospection, 2006, Roman Marching Camp, North Tawton (Report - Geophysical Survey). SDV338954.

The north-western corner of the large Roman marching camp may have been identified during the geophysical survey undertaken in 2006 as a 80 metres long linear feature running east to west with a curve to the south at the western end. Other features including former field boundaries, a line of possible pits and ploughing trends were also identified.

English Heritage, 2009, Heritage at Risk Register 2009: South West, 119 (Report - non-specific). SDV342694.

Generally satisfactory but with significant localised problems. Principal vulnerability arable ploughing.

Gillard, M., 2009, The Barton, North Tawton, Devon: Results of Archaeological Excavations, 10, 17, 20 (Report - Excavation). SDV347928.

Excavations on the site of a proposed warehouse development to the north of the existing commerical buildings at The Barton confirmed the continuation of the western boundary ditch of the Roman marching camp established by previous excavation and aerial photography. The V-shaped profile of ditch 164 is suggestive of a Roman military origin and charcoal from the fill was radiocarbon dated to 18-127 calibrated AD. A pair of cooking pits (120 and 220) located 65 metres to the west of the boundary ditch may be related to the marching camp - the ceramic and radiocarbon evidence from each pit respectively is consistent with an early, pre AD69 date. Alternatively they may have been within an annexe or another camp of which ditch 132 to the north-west may be northern boundary.

English Heritage, 2010, Heritage at Risk Register 2010: South West, 112 (Report - non-specific). SDV344777.

Ordnance Survey, 2010, MasterMap (Cartographic). SDV344030.

English Heritage, 2011, Heritage at Risk Register 2011: South West, 118 (Report - non-specific). SDV355280.

Roman forts, marching camps and associated monuments, North Tawton. Generally satisfactory but with significant localised problems. Declining. Principal vulnerability arable ploughing.

Sources / Further Reading

Associated Monuments

Associated Finds

• FDV1038 - FLAKE (Prehistoric - 698000 BC to 42 AD)

Associated Events

• EDV10 - Watching Brief at 'The Barton', North Tawton
• EDV11 - Report on Site Visit to Roman Camps at North Tawon
• EDV379 - Archaeological recording at site of new warehouse for Vital Dog Supplies, The Barton, North Tawton
• EDV4269 - Geophysical Survey at The Barton, North Tawton
• EDV9 - Unnamed Event
• EDV7455 - Winkleigh Biomass Plant National Mapping Programme

Search results generated by the HBSMR Gateway from exeGesIS SDM Ltd.