More information : (NY 59576460) Roman Fort (R) (Site of) (1)
A Roman fort belonging to the Stanegate series stood on the hill occupied by the church at Nether Denton. Its turf rampart, found in 1933 to be 30ft wide, lies below the south wall of the churchyard and its bath-house was found when the present vicarage was built in 1868. Coins and pottery found in quantity on the site in 1868, (a) 1911 (b) and 1933 showed that it was occupied intensively from early Agricolan times to the end of Trajan's reign. (2-3)
Trial trenching in 1933 also disclosed an extensive vicus S of the fort. (4)
The fields in the vicinity are under permanent pasture, and no apparent remains of the fort are visbile. (5)
(NY 596645): Air photographs taken during drought conditions in 1975 revealed the evidence of a larger fort at Nether Denton proceeding the known fort. Evidence was also seen of a vicus or civilian settlement to the SW of the fort. Nothing visible on OS air photographs. See plan. (6-8)
Cropmarks of a Roman fort, 200m by 160m, dated to the late 1st/early 2nd century. Before it was abandoned, c.AD 122, after the construction of Hadrian's Wall, it appears to have been reduced in size when the southern half was abandoned. There are also cropmarks of the vicus which seems to have continued being occupied after the fort was abandoned. (9)
The cropmark remains of both the larger fort or forts and the vicus are visible on aerial photographs. The military remains can be seen to the south of the church and the excavated fort and are centred on NY 5952 6447. These consist of two lengths of ditch both of which define the south west corner of the fort and some internal features. It has been suggested that the large distance between the inner and outer ditch, approximately 20m, indicates that these cropmarks represent two separate forts. Alternatively the smaller cropmark fort may be an annex to the excavated fort. The outer ditch is crossed by a cropmark of a road. Further roads can be seen to the west and these connect with the cropmarks of a vicus. The vicus remains are centred on NY 5930 6438 and primarily consist of a series of small enclosures. (10-12)
Located on the English Heritage map of Hadrian's Wall 2010. (13)
The cropmarks of the fort and associated features are visible on air photographs and were mapped by Historic England as part of the English Heritage Trust's 'Hadrian's Wall: Birdoswald Sector Survey'.
These cropmarks include the confusing mix of curved corner ditches, located at NY 6024 6457 interpretted as the south-west corner of the fort. As suggested above, it is likely that there were either two phases of separate forts, or an annexe of sorts. Fragmentary cropmarks within and around the fort ditch are probably associated. Numerous small pits have also been mapped here, but it is quite possible that these are geological.
The possible west ditch of the fort is visible as a cropmark on 1949 oblique photographs. There is a slight arc to the ditch at the northern end, supporting the suggestion that it is the west ditch, and also suggesting by the angle of the turn, that some or all of the north fort ditch has been lost to the migration of the RIver Irthing. On this longest visible axis, the fort has an inner length of 198 metres. The overall plan of the visible elements of the fort suggest it wasn't a perfect rectangle, but slightly rhomboid.
The earthworks of a probable medieval/post medieval settlement to the east of the fort cropmarks (1473876) appear to follow the same general alignment of the fort.
Additional extensive cropmarks are visible to the immediate south-west of the fort, but are distorted by geological marks, making interpretation difficult. Some of the features described as roads by the above authorities are visible as broad ditches, centred at NY 5932 6437. They are orientated approximately north-west to south-east and are probably medieval/post medieval hollow ways, as they are on the same alignment as earthwork hollow ways to the south of the current road (1612677). The other ditch cropmarks at this location are so fragmentary as to be difficult to interpret. They may either relate to the fort vicus, or could be later activity associated with settlement around Lane Head Farm.
Some of these cropmark areas had poor control on the source photography, so the rectification and subsequent mapping may be less accurate.
(14-16) |