| Summary : Cropmarks of a Roman temporary camp. It lies on a west to east spur, between the valleys of the River Tone to the south and the Norton Brook to the north, on level ground between two slight knolls at about 30 metres above OD. The cropmarks are fragmentary but seem to define an approximately rectangular shape measuring about 94 metres, orientated northeast to south west by about 68 metres transversely, with three broadly rounded corners. There is a faint hint of an entrance with an internal clavicula in the centre of the southeast side. The southwest end of the northeast segment of the ditch stops abruptly, as if for a gate. No interruption is detectable in the cropmark of the southwest side. |
More information : For details see Devon SMR. (1)
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:
Less than 1.5 km W of Norton Fitzwarren, in undulating country, some cropmarks of what seems to have been a small isolated camp were noted in 1990 (NMR AP ST 1825/1-2 (2a)). The camp lies on a W to E spur, between the valleys of the River Tone to the S and the Norton Brook to the N, on level ground between two slight knolls at about 30 m above OD. There are excellent views to the S, across the Tone, and reasonably good visibility over more broken terrain to the N, WNW, and NNE, To the E, however, the camp is overlooked by higher ground. No Roman roads are known in this area but, just over 9km to the W, a Roman fort has been recorded at Wiveliscombe (NAR ST 09 NE 2).
The cropmarks are fragmentary but seem to define an approximately rectangular shape measuring about 94m from NE to SW by about 68m transversely, with three broadly rounded corners; it encloses an area of about 0.6ha (1.6 acres). There is a faint hint of an entrance with an internal clavicula in the centre of the SE side. The corresponding position on the NW side is obscured on the photographs by the shadow of a tree, but the SW end of the NE segment of the ditch stops abruptly, as if for a gate. No interruption is detectable in the cropmark of the SW side. Full information is included in the NMR Archive. (2)
Published source, featuring a plot from the AP and a description. (3)
The cropmark is broadly as described above. (4) |