| Summary : The site of Roman forts at Elslack, interpreted most recently as Rigodounon, and also as Olenacum. The site comprises the earthwork remains of two Roman forts, one within the other. The earlier square one, which is dated to AD 70-80, is within the later oblong fort which is dated to circa AD 210. |
More information : [SD 9247 4944] Roman Fort [G.S.] (1)
Elslack - a square fort with clay rampart 16-18' wide on a stone foundation. There is a double ditch 24' wide with a berm only 2 or 3'. First century pottery and the close resemblance to Ribchester in lay-out and construction (apart from size) fix the date as Flavian. An oblong fort with a stone wall revetting a clay bank has been superimposed on the smaller Flavian earthwork. There is no evidence of date but the manner of its construction suggests the second century. (2)
Excavation report, plan etc. Formerly called "Burwen Castle". (3)
Elslack, Burwen Castle (Roman Remains). Scheduled as an Ancient Monument. (4)
See 25" A.M. for survey and comments. (5)
Survey of 8.8.60 checked and still correct. (6)
OLENACUM (?) Probably the Roman fort at Elslack, Yorks (see Old Carlisle - NY 24 NE 1 for former attribution of this name). (7)
The fort at Elsack has been dated to the early fourth century, but on very little evidence. Spreads of stones within the NW angle at Elslack and by the west gate could possibly have been the foundations of ballistaria. That by the west gate, set back 1.22m from the inner face of the wall and consisting of a level bed of closely-packed boulders 4.57 x 2.74m, was thought by May to be the foundations for the original gate-tower. (8-9)
Burwen Castle Roman forts. Earthwork remains of two Roman forts, one within the other. The earlier square one, which is dated to AD 70-80, is within the later oblong fort which is dated to c.AD 210. (10)
Rigodunum was located by Claudius Ptolemy (AD 90-c.168) in his ‘Geography’ of the Roman world. He wrote in Greek, ‘Rhigodounon’, and this place has been interpreted by Kleineberg, Marx and Lelgemann (11) to be identified with Elslack in North Yorkshire, the Roman fort known as Burwen Castle.
Their interpretation is based on one critical letter K, which means (in German) 'identification merely from transformation of ancient coordinates'. In other words, they took Ptolemy's latitude and longitude figures and corrected for all the known mathematical/geographic issues, including the fact that certain clusters of places seem to have been displaced as a block, in this case Al10, which seems to have taken in much of the midlands all the way to Carmarthen and Chester.
Rigodunum has also been identified with the Roman castle at Castleshaw in Yorkshire (A.L Rivet and C Smith – Place names of Roman Britain, 1979) the interpretation is based on Rigo- meaning 'royal'. However, this can also mean in Latin 'to conduct, to guide' (as in German Richtung 'direction'). It may apply to road transport, but also to water, as in the word ‘irrigate’. (12)
It is also identified with Warrington (Karl Müller, Klaudiou Ptolemaiou Geographikê hyphêgêsis. Claudii Ptolemaei Geographia. E codibis recognovit, prolegomenis, annotatione, indicibus, tabulis instruxit Carolus Mullerus (2 Vols.; Paris: Firmin-Didot, 1883, 1901). (11)
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