| Summary : Birdoswald Roman Fort, known to the Romans as 'Banna', was built from 117AD. It measures 204m by 162m and is located on a ridge with a steep scarp to the south. It has four main gates and two posterns. Its prime function was to guard the Irthing Bridge. Excavation dates from the early 19th century. The barracks have been found in the north, and a hoard of 30 denarii current under Hadrian recovered. A bronze wrist-purse containing 28 coins was found in 1949 north of the east gate. A building of three rooms near the east postern, one with a hypocaust, (probably the baths of the commandant's house) yielded a seated statue of Fortune. In the centre of the fort, the headquarters building stood on or near the former site of Turret 49a, and to the west of this lay one or more granaries. Excavations have uncovered the following sequence of events on the site: prior to the construction of the fort the Turf Wall and Turret 49a occupied the area; these were demolished and a fort, probably of turf and timber, was erected and the Vallum diverted around it; later the Vallum was probably levelled to make room for the larger stone fort. The garrison was the milliary, peditate cohors I Aelia Dacorum and occupied the site from the late 2nd to the 4th century AD; during the first half of the 3rd century AD there is evidence for rebuilding before the site was abandoned for a period from the end of the third century and reoccupied in the early 4th; during the late 4th/early 5th century, the south granary was converted for residential use. During the 5th century AD a sequence of timber buildings were built on the site of the north granary. The site was possibly abandoned altogether by about AD 520. In the 13th century, a tower house was built by the porta princpalis sinistra (the main left gate). In the 16th century, a bastle house replaced the tower house, which in its turn was replaced by a farmhouse in the 17th century. |
More information : (NY 615 663) Camboglanna Roman Fort (GS) (1)
Camboglanna fort (incorrectly named Amboglanna in the Notitia) measures 580 by 400ft. It has four main gates and two posterns. Its prime function was to guard the Irthing Bridge (NY 66 NW 12). Towards the rear (north) the normal barracks have been found and a hoard of 30 denarii current under Hadrian. A bronze wrist-purse containing 28 similar coins was found in 1949 north of the east gate. A building of three rooms near the east postern, one with a hyocaust, (probably the baths of the commandant's house) yielded a seated statue of Fortune, now in Tullie House Museum. West of this, in the centre of the fort, the head-quarters building stood on or near the former site of Turret 49a (NY 66 NW 13), and to the west of this lay one or more granaries. The Stone Wall is brought up to the fort's north angles. The Turf Wall abutted its principal gates, but it and its ditch ante-dated the fort. The Vallum is diverted round the south side of the fort and has a revetted causeway opposite its south gate. It cuts through a Promontory Fort (NY 66 NW 18). (See plan). (2-3) [Later compiler's note: please note that the identification of Birdoswald with 'Cambloganna' is now considered obsolete- see later sources]
Numerous Altars found at, or near, Birdoswald. (4)
The fort is in fair condition. Turf covered foundations, probably part of the headquarters building, are the only visible internal remains. There is no trace of the Vallum to the south of the fort or of the revetted causeway. Published survey (25") revised. (5)
BANNA - The Roman fort at Birdoswald, Cumbria. (6)
Birdoswald Fort (Banna NY 663 615). Two granaries, each measuring 26.8 x 10.4m, were excavated in the former garden of the farmhouse in 1987, lying parallel and adjacent to the via principalis. They probably date from c AD 205-8, and overlie earlier buildings in timber and stone. The fort's wall and ditch were also examined. On the north side, where the fort wall lies under the modern road, a primary interval tower was identified. (7-8)
The archaeological history of the fort, identified as BANNA (6), has been summarised by Birley up to 1961 (9a) and Daniels (9b) to 1978; they refer to the excavations done since 1850. In 1949-50, the Ministry of Works consolidated the exposed walls and gateways (9c). The fort measures 182m N-S by 121m internally; the consolidated curtain, with the S and E gateways, survives on the S and E sides, on about a half of the W side, and at the NW angle. The public road overlies the greater part of the N defences, and Birdoswald farmhouse and gardens, the outbuildings and yards occupy the N sector of the interior, the remainder of which is in permanent pasture. Little remains of the outer ditch; of the internal buildings, the S, buttressed wall of a granary is visible forming the ha-ha to the garden, and the sites of former excavated structures are defined mainly as areas of spoil. Birdoswald fort was surveyed in 1987 by RCHME Newcastle at 1:1000 scale, and a full field account produced, both of which are held in the NMR. (9)
Between 1987 and 1992, major excavations took place, mainly in the garden S of the farm house, revealing two granaries, and the W gate and causeway across the ditch; a full excavation report is forthcoming (10a). The granaries and the W gateway have been consolidated, and the whole site is open to the public. (10)
Birdoswald Roman Fort, known to the Romans as 'Banna', is situated on a ridge with a steep scarp to the south. Excavation work on the site has dated from the early 19th century. The fort encloses an area of 2.2 hectares. It was originally occupied by the first cohort of Dacians, 1000 strong, and probably early in the third century by the part-mounted first cohort of Thracians. A large Roman basilica was constructed in the north sector of the fort and has been interpreted as a parade or drill hall. A parade ground is also attested by a group of official parade ground dedications including 20 to Jupiter, though it is yet to be precisely located. A vicus (civil settlement outside the fort) was located to the east. An early medieval hall and associated structures were constructed inside the fort over the earlier Roman remains, demonstrating continued use of the site in the post-Roman period. Scheduled. (11)
Excavation report. Excavations of this Roman fort have uncovered the following sequence of events on this site. Prior to the construction of the fort the Turf Wall and Turret 49a occupied the area. These were demolished and a fort, probably of turf and timber, was erected and the Vallum was diverted around it. Later the Vallum was probably levelled to make room for a larger stone fort. There appears to have been a period of desertion between the completion of the defences of this fort and the erection of the interior buildings which are dated to the late 2nd century AD. The fort had a rare basilica-type building. The garrison was the milliary, peditate cohors I Aelia Dacorum and occupied the site from the late 2nd to the 4th century AD. During the first half of the 3rd century AD there is evidence for rebuilding and refurbishment of the fort. The site appears to have been abandoned towards the end of the third century and reoccupied in the early 4th. During the late 4th/early 5th century the south granary was converted for residential use. During the 5th century AD a sequence of timber buildings were built on the site of the north granary. The site was possibly abandoned by c.AD 520. In the 13th century a tower house was built by the porta princpalis sinistra. In the 16th century a bastle house replaced the tower house, which in its turn was replaced by a farmhouse in the 17th century.(12)
Report of Survey published in 1998. (13)
The later tower house is included in a gazeetter of medieval fortified buildings with plan and illustration. (14)
The earthwork and structural remains of Birdoswald fort (described by the previous authorities) were mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Hadrian's Wall NMP project. (15-16)
Tony Wilmott's book on Birdoswald, subtitled "1800 Years on Hadrian's Wall" encompasses the whole development of the site from before the Wall, its construction, redevelopment in the second and third centuries and the life of the garrison. There is a discussion of the basilican building found in 1989, to date a new type of building in the context of an auxilliary fort. The book also examines the post-Roman use of the site. A further point made is that in earlier sources Birdoswald was identified as 'Cambloganna', due to a misunderstanding of the original Roman source material: 'Cambloganna' is now thought to be the modern Castlesteads. (17)
The 2005 edition of the English Heritage guidebook covers the history and archaeology of the site from the Roman Period to the present. It includes a tour of the main features of the site, with maps, plans and historic photographs. (18)
Birdoswald is marked on English Heritage map of Hadrian's Wall published in 2010. (19)
The results of excavations at Birdoswald between 1996-2000 are discussed, including the Study Centre Project, the Time Team evaluation and the Spur Project. There are also sections on finds and general conclusions for the history of the fort. (20)
The Roman fort at Birdoswald and the landscape in which it sits were mapped as part of the Historic England Contribution to the English Heritage Trust's 'Hadrian's Wall: Birdoswald Sector Survey'. The area was surveyed from air photographs and digital elevation models derived from environment agency lidar and Structure from Motion (SfM) taken from 2017 specialist oblique photography.
The earthworks and ruined stone wall features of the fort were mapped to sub-metre accuracy from both the DEMs and orthomosaic photography derived from SfM. Features mapped range from the fort walls, towers, buildings, gates and outer ditches; to the remnants of the medieval tower house; the post medieval bastle and ridge and furrow (also recorded under 1449652). Also of likely post medieval date are numerous narrow ditches, trackways and hollows, presumably formed by the movement of vehicles and animals in and around the fort in recent centuries.
Of particular note, to the north of the fort and on the north side of the modern road, a north-facing escarpment appears to relate to the approximate line of the north outer ditch of the fort, the north wall now obscured beneath the road. This bank undulates in plan, and projects outwards roughly adjacent to where the north gate is thought to be, which could suggest it to be the edge of a platform for the gatehouse. However, the 1603 map of Triermain and Walton Wood shows a building on the wall-line at this approximate location with a road leading to it. Additional features adjacent to this and in the fields around the fort are discussed in other records.
(21-23) |