More information : [SJ 61278627] Site of Roman Station [GS]
Roman Settlement [GS] (Site of) (1-2)
The Roman Name of the Settlement at Wilderspool: The first attempts,
by early 19th c. writers, to identify the Roman name of the
settlement at Wilderspool, were that it was the CONDATE of the
Antonine Itinerary. In the last half of the 19th c. it became a
matter of controversy as to whether the name was Condate or the
Veratino listed in the Ravenna Cosmography. (a) - giving list of
early references,(b),(c),(d).
The satisfactory equation of Condate with Northwich, south of
Wilderspool, left Veratino as the only possible alternative. May (e),
at the turn of the 19/20th c. recognised that there was no evidence
to associate the name Veratino with Wilderspool but pointed out that
the settlement lasted long enough to be included in the Cosmography
and he continued to use the name in his accounts of the site (f).
May and others writers up to recent years (1956) (g)(h) suggest that
the apparent similarity between the modern name Warrington and
Veratino indicates that the modern name was derived from the Roman.
This is not supported by Ekwall, writing in 1922 (j) who, quoting the
early forms of Warrington : Walintune DB; Werineton 1228; Variations
of Werington 13th c.; Warryngton 1332 and Waringtun 1540, derived the
first element from the OE personal name WOER. In 1960, he varies this
derivation slightly by suggesting an alternative derivation from a
river-WEIR (k).
Crawford and Richmond (l) quote Ekwall in their authoritative paper
on the Ravenna Cosmography and state that the association of the name
Veratino with Warrington "..is illusory..". It was probably between
Lutudaron, Derbyshire and Mediolanum, Cheshire, and was, perhaps,
Rocester or Uttoxeter. Professor Richmond defended this
identification against local criticism in 1956 (g).
No epigraphical evidence as to the name has been recovered in the
recorded excavations and finds made at the site. It is shown by an
appropriate symbol on the OS Roman Britain map (m) with 'Wilderspool'
applied to it.
Topographical position of the Settlement :
The settlement occupied a tongue-like strip of land, on hich ground,
41 feet above O.D., overlooking the plain and above flood-level. It
was defended by the river Mersey on the north and by the Cress and
Lum brooks on the west and east. It occupied an important strategic
position at the head of the tidal portion of the Mersey at the place
where it can be first forded (e).
Archaeological and other evidence for the History of the Settlement :
There is little record of any pre-Roman occupation at the settlement-
site - a polished, flint axe, 'of Cissbury type', found in Roman
levels near the temple-site (f) and a small flint implement, found in
a Roman refuse-pit in the NW angle of the defences (g). There is some
evidence of a BA barrow near to the west side of the defences -
SJ 68 NW 27.
The Roman settlement was clearly a walled town with no evidence of a
military camp. It probably became established as a mansio, at the
ford, then a customs-town and port and finally developed into an
indutrial town. It was on the Brigantian frontier.
A fragment of tile, stamped 'XXD' and an amphora sherd with the
graffito 'VV', found in the excavations of 1895-1905, probably refer
to the 20th Legion Devensis and suggest that the defences were
constructed by that legion c.50 A.D. Coins found at the settlement
range from Mark Anthony to Constantine the Great by comparison with
Roman settlements at Chester and others nearby suggest that, like
them, Wilderspool survived until the 5th c., at least. The material
in Warrington Museum does not seem to have been authoritatively
examined and dated in any publication since the beginning of this
century.
The Saxon Chronicle refers to Ethilfrith raiding Chester from the
north , in 607, and it has been suggested that the settlement at
Wilderspool was destroyed then. However, May's excavations revealed
no evidence of a catastrophic end and he dismisses earlier suggestions of the settlement having been distroyed by fire as mis-identification of podsolization, natural colouring of the soil, or the traces of contemporary industry (h).
Since the end of the Roman period the site of the settlement has been
open country with no evidence of later settlement upon it. The larger
earthworks had disappeared before living memory in 1852 and,until
1801, only the name Town Field perpetuated the memory of the site.
A chronological account of finds and excavations made at the site of
the settlement:
The first recorded finds from the site of the settlement were made in
1787 when Wilderspool House was built for a Mr. Greenall. The finds
included a coin of Domitian but no detailed account survives (s).
Later in the 18th the erection of a brewery led to more finds.
In 1801 the Old Quay Canal was cut through a corner of the site and
extensive building foundations were found. The architectural debris
included capitals and bases of pillars and large, mortised stones.
W.Beamont, a local historian, collected accounts of discoveries made
in work on the fields from 1800-30, mainly dealing with stretches of
Roman road. In 1823, finds were made in building a row of cottages
through the Roman road and dug in a field near Wilderspool House but
found only potsherds (r). Part of a road had been noticed in work at
the west end of the house in 1802.
In 1848, Mathew Lyon and other local enthusiasts excavated sections
of the Roman road in the fields south of the settlement. From 1867-72, a large part of the area was quarried for sand and the objects found were recovered by Dr.A.Kendrick and several accounts published by him (b). The majority of the finds were presented to Warrington Museum. A Roman well was found and the stones removed and reerected in a Warrington Park. Among the more interesting finds were a terr-cotta mask, said to be for an actor but possibly a wall-decoration, and the burial of two infant cremations in feeding-bottles or tetinae - possibly of twins as the bottles were left and right-handed. From 1887-94 the construction of the Manchester Ship Canal further mutilated the site. May states that the excavation of the cutting was `without archaeological result' but, in the same paper, writes of a Castor pot that was found in making this canal.
In 1895 May began a series of excavations in advance of the
development of this area for housing, with the aid of Warrington
Corporation. These excavations continued until 1905 and were published at irregular intervals as papers in the Transactions of the Lancs.
and Chesh. Hist. Soc. (f)(n)(o)(p)(g). These papers, up to 1904 were
summarised and republished in a book (e) but no definitive publication was ever made and nothing more authoritative nor any re-assesment of May's conclusion has been published since.
The excavations revealed that the Roman town was defended by a wall
with an outer ditch, forming an irregularly foursided figure and
enclosing an area of c.3 acres. Only the western side of these
defences was fully excavatedbut the ditch was traced sufficiently to
indicate the general plan. The wall was built of local sandstone
facing to a core of rubble and clay and was 9-12 feet thick. Large
buttress-like bases were found on the west and east sides and
identified as ballistaria. There were traces of an angle tower on the
rounded NW angle of the defences and, at this angle, a well-made
causeway was found with vague indications of a gate. At the
south-west angle of the wall, the main Roman road from the south
entered the town and the traces of the pillars of a gateway were
found. A third smaller gate was found in the west rampart.
See AO/56/I86/I,2 and 3 for illustrations of the wall.
After the construction of the main rampart on the west an annex was
formed by three parallel walls being built at right-angles to it, on
the outside, over the filled-in ditch. Any continuation to the west
had been destroyed by quarrying. In the enclosures found by the
walling and the original rampart a glass-maker's workshop and
furnaces were found - see AO/56/I87/1 and 2. Two refuse pits
containing glass debris contained a coin of Hadrian and a coin of
Trajan. Just outside the north-west angle of the rampart a bronze
smelting furnace was found. - AO/56/I87/3. South of the southernmost
wall of the annex was an iron-working site with furnace, associated
workshop and floors - AO/56/I86/5 and 6.
Within the defended area were three areas, described as insulae I,II
and III by May. The first contained a glass making workshop and
associated buildings with two wells one containing a coin of Trajan,
the other a coin of Domitian - See AO/56/I86/2.
In the second insula were the remains of a shop or dwelling, fronting
the main Roman road, iron and glass furnaces and a contemporary leat
or water-course. Glass and iron furnaces associated with a coin of
Augustus and two coins of Trajan were overlaid by Iron-smelting
hearths and a bloomery associated with a coin of Trajan. Near the
dwelling/shop was an enamelling, bronze-worker's or jeweller's
furnace. Many finds were made in the leat and included coins of
Trajan, Hadrian, Aeulius and Nerva and crucibles with traces of
coin-metal. AO/56/I86/ 4,5,6, and 7.
The last insula, in the north-east corner of the site, contained a
walled enclosure abutting against the 'ballist-arium'. It contained
furnaces, one with a sealed coin of
Domitian. AO/56/I87/4.
A corridor-house was found near the north-west corner of the rampart.
Traces of furnaces were seen and an iron-working furnace was found in
the corridor of the house. Along the edge of the substantial north
wall of the house were found coins of Domitian and Trajan. From the
south end of the house, the frontages of shops or dwellings extended
for 120 feet along the main highway. AO/56/I86/4 and 8, I87/8.
The only other find of any significance was a Roman altar - AO/56/I88/5 - without inscription, found west of the Roman road.
South of the walled area, a series of sites indicating a large
industrial suburb was found. The most important discovery were the
scanty remains of a temple associated with Minerva on the strength of
a bronze head of the goddess and a stone head of a goddess found in
the remains. AO/56/I88/4.
Near the temple a polished flint axe was found in Roman levels. Other
foundations and a drain were noted. On either side of the main Roman
road, glass and iron working furnaces were found with workshops formed by huts built round central courtyards and approched from the main road by short lengths of minor cobbled roads. One site was associated with coins of Domitian and Constantine the Great and at another site there seems to have been a small hoard of coins - Domitian, Trajan and Hadrian. On either side of one minor road were found four cinerary urns with cremations. A fragment of a pot with a face mask 'of situated beneath the west side of Kimberley Drive, a little north of Dundonold Avenue, on the extreme south of the Roman suburb. In front of one fire-hole was a coin of Antoninus Pius. Potsherds stamped ANIACO,ICOTASI, BRICOS and BRVCI may refer to these local potters.
AO/56/I88/3 and 4.
Apart from the evidence of infant-burials and the four cinerary
urns, the only evidence for a cemetary-site is the burial found in
1895 - See SJ 68 NW 9. (3)
There are no visible traces of the Roman settlement.
The major part of the walled town is covered by a playing field, the
property of Greenall,Whitley and Co. Mr. Worrall, a surveyor employed
by the firm, stated that finds are occasionaly made in work on paths
and fences; in 1952 fragments of walling, potsherds and an illegible
bronze coin was found, at SJ 61198656, on the line of the eastern
wall. The finds are displayed in the Company's head office. In times of drought, parching reveals lines of walling, particularly the north
wall. A bowling green and tennis courts occupy the site of the west
wall and quarrying has probably destroyed the south wall.
The area of the inductrial suburb is occupied by houses.
Among the finds housed in Warrington Museum are :
Roman burial urns : Accn.Nos : RA997, RAI245;
The restored actor's face-mask - Accn. No : RA I224;
The altar - Accn. No : I620/96;
The bronze bust of Minerva : Accn.No : 261/06;
The stone head of a goddess : Accn.No : 445/06 ;
A Ne. polished flint axe : Accn. No : 222/06. (4)
There have been no significant discoveries since 1960. Field
investigation could supply no additional information. (5)
SJ 611865. Excavations in 1966, 67 and 69 showed at least three
phases of mainly timber buildings, probably of 2nd c date. Sections
cut across Mays 'northern rampart' revealed a possible road surface
but no trace of rampart of ditch. (6-8)
Thomas May's reports of the Wilderspool excavations are not
altogether easy to interpret. Thompson regards the defences, in
particular the ditch, berm and rampart on the west side, as providing
possible evidence of a small auxiliary fort, but as the earliest
buildings discovered date to about 100 AD, Shotter considers a
military origin to be highly improbable.
Both writers agree as regards the ribbon industrial development on
either side of the Roman road on the approach to the Mersey. (9)
Further building has taken place in the area of the settlement, but
no new major discoveries have been made. (10)
Re-appraisal of pottery evidence suggest a continuing occupation of
the site from the early/mid 3rd to 4th centuries, but whether there
was a break between the 2nd and mid 3rd centuries, is not clear.
Evidence of later occupation suggests one rather meagre dwelling as
opposed to the industrial complex of the early occupation. (11)
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