More information : SE 519120. A Roman fort with several phases of defence appears to be indicated by crop marks at Robin Hood's Well. Roman pottery including Antonine Samian was recovered from two of the ditches visible in a disused quarry. (1)
Two bronze radiate coins of Tetricus I and Carausius, and a scatter of pottery, were picked up at the fort in 1973. (2)
Roman fort at Robin Hood's Well. Two definite phases of defence can be seen from the air, both double-ditched, representing the
defences of a large and smaller fort. Further cropmarks may indicate a third phase, but this requires more proof. The western portion of the fort has been destroyed by the dual carriageways of the A1, but it is striking to note that the Roman road twice realigns itself within a very short distance at this point to go through the fort. From topographic evidence it would appear that the larger fort covered about 5 acres and the smaller about 4.6 acres (over the ditches in each case). Robin Hood's Well seems to have been known for its Roman discoveries for some time, for Hunter says the following: "It is situated on the line of the great Roman road from Lincoln to York and it is manifest from the number of Roman coins which have been discovered in its immediate vicinity, together with fibulae and other small relics of the people, that there was some kind of settlement at this spot...". (3)
Cropmarks show beyond doubt that there are two superimposed forts. (4)
SE 519 120. Roman fort at Robin Hood's Well. Scheduled no. SY/1222. (5)
Up to three Roman forts are visible as cropmarks on air photographs centred at SE 5189 1200.
The features are all aligned north-east south-west and are incomplete with just part of the north-eastern and south-eastern sides visible.
Two of the forts are double ditched and appear to differ in size. The larger has a berm of 6m and has a possible entrance on the north-eastern side. The smaller is on a slightly different alignment and has a berm of 5m. This is more fragmentary but traces of a possible bank on the internal side of the internal ditch are visible.
The third possible fort comprises a single broad ditch with possible entrances on both visible sides. No corner can be seen but it is possible that this is masked by the other features.
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