| Summary : The site of a Roman fort and its associated vicus at Healam Bridge, built on Dere Street, which runs through the centre of the fort. A geophysical survey and a small-scale sample excavation were undertaken in 1993-4. The fort was found to measure roughly 130 metres by 130 metres internally and the finds recovered dated its construction and occupation to the early-mid 2nd century AD. The vicus seems to have developed soon after the construction of the fort, but it appears to have survived into the 3rd and 4th centuries. The settlement grew up immediately around the fort and extended as ribbon developments along Dere Street to the north and south. The properties forming this development are thought to have fronted onto Dere Street, each set within a ditched enclosure running back from the road. Investigations to the east of the fort uncovered a single human burial and a number of pits, believed to represent further graves.Air photographs taken in 2006 show sections of the fort's surrounding ditch showing as cropmarks, measuring approximately 10 metres in diameter. |
More information : (SE 323 836) Roman occupation site near Healam Bridge. Quantity of unstratified Roman pottery covering the whole occupation and two coins found immediately south of the bridge. A section of Roman road was found in same area (but see also SE 48 SW1 for another portion of Roman road a projection of which would cross the Great Northern Road about Healam Bridge). Finds made during road widening activities in 1949 include a single flue-tile fragment, but no foundations were reported by the mechanical excavator drivers. (1-3)
(SE 323836) Romano British Settlement (R) (Site of) (subsequent publication). (4)
A Roman fort at Healam Bridge is postulated by Hartley due to the spacing of known forts along the road north from York (RR 8b - Leeming Lane). "Its probable platform is to be seen." A few finds, including a Flavian mortarium, are in the Yorkshire Museum. (No 'platform' visible in the area around Healam Bridge on OS APs 1972. Possible significant names, Roman Hills and Roman Castle, at SE 340843 on OS 6" 1856). (5)
Recent geophysical work has uncovered the site of a Roman fort of 2 hectares and its vicus. (6)
SE 32298345; SE 32438352. Buried remains of a Roman fort and its associated vicus, built on Dere Street, which runs through the centre of the fort. A geophysical survey and a small-scale sample excavation were undertaken in 1993-4. The fort was found to measure roughly 130 metres by 130 metres internally and the finds recovered dated its construction and occupation to the early-mid 2nd century AD. The vicus seems to have developed soon after the construction of the fort, but it appears to have survived into the 3rd and 4th centuries. The settlement grew up immediately around the fort and extended as ribbon developments along Dere Street to the north and south. The properties forming this development are thought to have fronted onto Dere Street, each set within a ditched enclosure running back from the road. Investigations to the east of the fort uncovered a single human burial and a number of pits, believed to represent further graves. Scheduled. (7)
Fragments of a Roman fort are visible as a cropmark on air photographs. Two short sections of ditch at SE 3238 8351 may represent the fort described above. No trace of any other features was visible on the available air photographs.
(8)
Air photographs taken in 2006 show possible sections of the fort visible as ditch cropmarks. The south-west corner of the fort, centred at SE 3228 8346, is visible as a broad ditch up to 10 metres wide. The north-west corner of the fort is largely obscured by other dark markings in the crop. To the east of the A1, a possible short section of ditch is visible at SE 3238 8350. As far as is visible these marks correlate with the approximate sizing of the internal area of the fort by authority 7 as 130 metres square.
One of the sections of ditch recorded by authority 8 is again visible on the 2006 photographs, it lies within the broad ditch presumed to be that of the fort and also is much slighter only measuring some 2 metres across. A continuation of what seems to be the same ditch is visible just to the east at SE 3246 8356. These ditches appear to be located on the line of an old field boundary shown on historic mapping. (9-10)
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