More information : A civil settlement (1st or 4th centuries) grew up between the Watercrook Fort (SD 59 SW 3) and the river, to the N and W (Area SD 513 907); it is as yet unexcavated. Horsley (a) notes "cement and stones" frequently ploughed up on the W side, and a bend in the road leaving the fort by the NW gate may indicate the site of a prominent building (2). Machell (b) saw a building, 70 yds N or NW of the Fort, of 3 rooms each 15 ft square, with the arched stoke-hole of a hypocaust at the NE end. (1-2)
The area is under pasture and there are no visible remains. (3)
Limited rescue excavation around Watercrook Roman Fort was undertaken in 1974-5 prior to river widening (see plans). Evidence for extra-mural settlement was revealed to the north and east of the fort with roads leaving the north east and south east gates. On the east side (site A on plan) the earliest occupation was dated to the Flavian-Trajanic period, coinciding with the initial garrison of the fort. However, apart from sporadic activity in the late third century, represented by a small quantity of coins and pottery, the east vicus seems to have been abandoned by about 220. To the north (site C on plan) the presence of buildings was attested by the remains of two superimposed timber framed structures encroaching on the defences outside the fort's NE gate. Occupation here was probably from the late 2nd to the late 3rd century, although the scarcity of finds indicate it was not domestic habitation but possibly housed animals. A small metal-working hearth with a quantity of iron slag was also found here. (4)
SD 514907 Watercrook Roman fort and civil settlement, scheduled. (5) |