| Summary : Cropmark of a Roman temporary camp. This complex of forts and camps just SW of Wolverhampton lies on and immediately W of a level S-projecting tongue of land at 65m above OD, between the small marshy valley of the Smestow Brook on the W and the broad shallow valley of the Dawley Brook on the E. The site lies at what seems to have been a nodal point in the Roman road system of the area, some 23km S of Watling Street, at an important crossing-place of the Smestow, 550m N of its confluence with the Dawley. Camp 4, discovered during aerial reconnaissance, occupies broken ground W of the main complex: its slightly higher position on the W edge of the Smetsow valley would have allowed considerable tactical advantage. It probably faced E. The camp lies less than 400m WSW of fort A (SO 88 NE 27) at about 75m above OD, on a low irregular WSW to ENE saddle which may have conditioned its general siting. Cropmarks have revealed most of its subrectangular perimeter, but as yet evidence is lacking for its W side and its SW angle; a slight curve at the W end of the N side suggests that the overall dimensions were approximately 140m N to S by about 235m transversely, giving an area of about 3.3 ha (8.1 acres). No certain entrances can be identified, but they could coincide with one or more of several substantial interruptions in the cropmark of the perimeter ditch. The precise position of the N ditch was probably dictated by the presence of a hollow, just to the N of the camp; the ground falls away in all directions, giving good views southwards along the valley of the Spittle Brook and down the Smestow Brook towards its confluence with the River Stour. |
More information : SO 858880. A Roman temporary camp has been found to the W of the Roman forts at Greensforge (SO 88 NE ). The whole of the N side, most of the S, much of the E, and a part of the W, together with all four rounded angles have been identified so far. The axial dimensions appear to be about 1075 ft from N to S by 800 ft, an area of 20 acres together with two more camps (SO 88 NE 14&15 ) another previously reported, 1 mile NNW of Greensforge (SO 89 SE 17) and the two that lie near the forts, this makes a total of no fewer than six temporary camps near Greensforge a group unmatched in the approaches to Wales. (1)
Nothing visible in the area of this site which falls within arable fields. (2)
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.
This complex of forts and camps just SW of Wolverhampton lies on and immediately W of a level S-projecting tongue of land at 65m above OD, between the small marshy valley of the Smestow Brook on the W and the broad shallow valley of the Dawley Brook on the E. The site lies at what seems to have been a nodal point in the Roman road system of the area (Webster 1981, 79-80 (3a)), some 23km S of Watling Street, at an important crossing-place of the Smestow, 550m N of its confluence with the Dawley.
Camp 4, discovered during aerial reconnaissance, occupies broken ground W of the main complex: its slightly higher position on the W edge of the Smetsow valley would have allowed considerable tactical advantage. It probably faced E. The camp lies less than 400m WSW of fort A (SO 88 NE 27) at about 75m above OD, on a low irregular WSW to ENE saddle which may have conditioned its general siting. Cropmarks (CUCAP BDX 69 (3b) have revealed most of its subrectangular perimeter, but as yet evidence is lacking for its W side and its SW angle; a slight curve at the W end of the N side suggests that the overall dimensions were approximately 140m N to S by about 235m transversely, giving an area of about 3.3 ha (8.1 acres). No certain entrances can be identified, but they could coincide with one or more of several substantial interruptions in the cropmark of the perimeter ditch. The precise position of the N ditch was probably dictated by the presence of a hollow, just to the N of the camp; the ground falls away in all directions, giving good views southwards along the valley of the Spittle Brook and down the Smestow Brook towards its confluence with the River Stour. Full information is available in the NMR Archive. (3)
Published source. (4) |