| Summary : Earthwork remains of a Roman temporary camp are situated on relatively dry rough grassland, on the W side of a fairly level saddle between High Stony Bank and Low Stony Bank, at about 385 m above OD. Although there are good views from the SW around to the W and N, it is not in a particularly strong defensive position. Overlooked by higher ground from the NE, and from the E where the crest of the saddle rises gently to about 400 m above OD, the site is also dominated by the elevated limestone pavement of Low Stony Bank, only about 140 m from the S edge of the camp. On the W the deep and narrow valley of the Gordale Beck offers some good natural protection, supplemented less effectively on the N by the shallow gully of an unnamed tributary. The defences of the camp, which faces N, consist of a rampart withan outer ditch enclosing an area of nearly 8.1 ha (20 acres). There are four gates, each with an internal clavicula. The remains are in relatively good condition; such damage as there has been to the defences has resulted from the traffic along the green track of Mastiles Lane which almost bisects the camp immediately N of the E to W wall. Evidently there were problems with the original setting out of the camp which is not a perfect rectangle: the N side is 8 m shorter than the S, and the E side is 4 m longer than the W. The NE corner is a right angle but the E rampart veers outwards by up to 6m at the SE corner, the angle of which is thus slightly acute. The E end of the S side also curves inwards off the general line of this side. These misalignments are probably due to the gently undulating topography. The four corners of the camp are not all intervisible, either from each other or from a central point. |
More information : (SD 914 655) A large Roman temporary camp measuring 1020 ft by 865 ft has been identified from APs at Low Stoney Bank. (1-2)
A Roman marching-camp situated in a defensive position on a level tract of open moorland with higher ground towards the east. The remains consist of a slight, but well defined, earthen rampart, 0.4m high, with superficial traces of an external ditch. Original entrances (with claviculae) on the north, east and south sides are clearly recognisable, but the rampart on the west has been considerably mutilated by modern breaks. (3)
Centred at SD 915 655 a Roman Camp measuring 311m N to S by 263 m E to W, as described. There is no apparent explanation for the slight inward bow at the E end of the S rampart. No internal features are discernible.
Surveyed at 1:10 000. (4)
The marching camp encloses 20.25 acres (8.2ha) and is of legionary size. It is suggested that the camp may belong to the campaigns of either Cerialis or of Agricola, which effected the conquest of this area of Northern England. (5)
SD 914655. Malham. Roman marching camp. Mastiles Lane N of Low Stony Bank. Listed under Roman Remains. Schedule No 654. (6)
Scheduled no 654a. (7)
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.
The remains of this isolated camp are situated on relatively dry rough grassland, on the W side of a fairly level saddle between High Stony Bank and Low Stony Bank, at about 385 m above OD. Although there are good views from the SW around to the W and N, it is not in a particularly strong defensive position. Overlooked by higher ground from the NE, and from the E where the crest of the saddle rises gently to about 400 m above OD, the site is also dominated by the elevated limestone pavement of Low Stony Bank, only about 140 m from the S edge of the camp. On the W the deep and narrow valley of the Gordale Beck offers some good natural protection, supplemented less effectively on the N by the shallow gully of an unnamed tributary.
The defences of the camp, which faces N, consist of a rampart withan outer ditch enclosing an area of nearly 8.1 ha (20 acres). There are four gates, each with an internal clavicula. The remains are in relatively good condition; such damage as there has been to the defences has resulted from the traffic along the green track of Mastiles Lane which almost bisects the camp immediately N of the E to W wall. Evidently there were problems with the original setting out of the camp which is not a perfect rectangle: the N side is 8 m shorter than the S, and the E side is 4 m longer than the W. The NE corner is a right angle but the E rampart veers outwards by up to 6m at the SE corner, the angle of which is thus slightly acute. The E end of the S side also curves inwards off the general line of this side. These misalignments are probably due to the gently undulating topography. The four corners of the camp are not all intervisible, either from each other or from a central point.
The rampart is generally about 5.2 m in width, standing 0.2 m high internally and 0.5 m externally; where best preserved, on the N, the external scarp reaches a height of 0.8 m. The shallow ditch is less well defined but is generally about 3.2 m wide and 0.2 m deep.Little of it remains along the W side. There appear to be suggestions of part of an inner ditch, perhaps a quarry, towards the S end of the E side. As well as the breaks caused by farm tracks and by Mastiles Lane. Nevertheless, its position is almost certainly marked at a point about 100 m S of the NW corner, directly opposite the E gate, by a break in the rampart about 6 m wide and by a slight scarp that runs diagonally into the interior.
Although the ground slopes gently from E to W, the NE angle of the camp lies in a slight hollow and the NW on a rise. The interior is mainly covered in tussock grass; this is shorter on the W side, but is rougher on the E where the ground is more undulating and pock-marked with solution hollows. Just to the N of the wall that runs along the S side of Mastiles Lane, Two linear 'ditches' are evidence of subterranean collapses in the limestone. To the W of these and 20 m N of the wall, is a large irregularly shaped stone with a central rectangular hole; this is the base of a medieval cross, one of a number marking the route of Mastiles Lane. The camp is also crossed, from the NE corner to just N of the W entrance, by the remains of a robbed wall, partly double-faced at its E end. For much of its length it is only marked by an occasional large boulder protruding through the turf. Unfortunately it is broken where it meets the rampart on either side of the camp and it is not possible to ascertain its exact relationship to the Roman earthworks. Crossing the camp about 45 m parallel to the S of Mastiles Lane there are two narrow lines of disturbed turf which mark the positions of agricultural water-pipes laid in 1968 and 1976. Full information is included in the NMR Archive. (8)
The camp was mapped from good quality air photographs as part of the RCHME: Yorkshire Dales Project:- (Morph No. NY.1151.1.1). This description is based on data from the RCHME MORPH2 database. (9)
Additional reference. (10)
Published reference. (11) |