| 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 (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. The camp, visible as a cropmark in arable fields, is the largest of the group. It lies less than 190m N of camp 4 and is seperated from it by a hollow which lies to the N of camp 4 (SO 88 NE 13). It is situated on a pronounced W to E ridge which falls slightly to the E, but for the most part this is higher than the terrain occupied by camp 4. The layout of camp 5 was evidently rectangular. The E side has not been positively identified, and may have been obscured by activity connected with a probable civil settlement associated with the forts to the E. The cropmarks, however, do not confirm this. Its position of the E side of the camp could be indicated by a length of N to S ditch. If this possible line is accepted, the camp would have measured approximately 315m N to S by 420m E to W, enclosing an area of 13.2 ha (32.7 acres). The cropmark of the perimeter ditch is generally rather thin and no certain gates have been identified among the many interruptions in the S and E sides. Of all the establishments at Greensforge, it is camp 5 which utilises the local topography to best advantage. The most important factor in its detailed sighting was the alignment of its W side, which occupies a local high point at about 90 m above OD. This gives commanding views W, S, and N, with the camp at Swindon clearly in sight some 2km to the N. |
More information : SO 856 885 A Roman temporary camp has been found to the W of the Greensforge Roman forts (SO 88 NE 1 ) and 500 ft to the N of the camp at SO 858 880 (SO 88 NE 13 ). The whole of the W side 1080 ft long, a length of 1150 ft of the S, a short length of the N and the two western angles have been determined. The area will be not less than 28 acres. Together with the two other camps recently discovered (SO 88 NE 13&15 ), another previously reported, 1 mile NNW of Greensforge (SO 89 SE 17 ) and the two that lie near the forts, a total of no less than six temporary camps have been discovered in this area, 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 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.
The camp, visible as a cropmark in arable fields, is the largest of the group (CUCAP BDX 60 (3b)). It lies less than 190m N of camp 4 and is seperated from it by a hollow which lies to the N of camp 4 (SO 88 NE 13). It is situated on a pronounced W to E ridge which falls slightly to the E, but for the most part this is higher than the terrain occupied by camp 4. The layout of camp 5 was evidently rectangular. The E side has not been positively identified, and may have been obscured by activity connected with a probable civil settlement associated with the forts to the E (Webster 1981 (see auth 3a)). The cropmarks, however, do not confirm this. Its position of the E side of the camp could be indicated by a length of N to S ditch. If this possible line is accepted, the camp would have measured approximately 315m N to S by 420m E to W, enclosing an area of 13.2 ha (32.7 acres). The cropmark of the perimeter ditch is generally rather thin and no certain gates have been identified among the many interruptions in the S and E sides. Of all the establishments at Greensforge, it is camp 5 which utilises the local topography to best advantage. The most important factor in its detailed sighting was the alignment of its W side, which occupies a local high point at about 90 m above OD. This gives commanding views W, S, and N, with the camp at Swindon clearly in sight some 2km to the N. Full information is included in the NMR Archive. (3)
Published source. (4) |