More information : [NY2227 6270] Roman Fort [GS] (Site of)
[NY2215 6267] Roman Ditch [GS] (1)
Maia. (2)
The Roman fort of Maia underlies the small town of Bowness-on-Solway, where Camden in 1599 notes traces of streets and walls, and mentions an ancient silted-up harbour. Excavations in May 1930 by Birley showed that the whole of the north wall of the fort had been destroyed by sea erosion, the position of the west and south walls were established, and part of the west gateway was uncovered. The size of the fort was calculated to be 710 ft E-W by 420 ft N-S, with an area of 7 acres. The south gateway appears to have been nearer the west end. The wide ditch at A is of Mediaeval date, the Roman ditch lying a short distance further east. An earlier turf wall fort must have existed here, but has not been located, and this in turn probably superseded Milecastle 80, probably also of turf, all traces of which would presumably have been lost by erosion. (3)
Bowness was the westernmost point at which the Solway could be forded; this would explain its choice as the terminal point of Hadrian's Wall. (4)
There are no visible remains of the fort, and the ditches referred to have been filled in. (5)
Due to building development a 'rescue' excavation was undertaken in 1967 in Mill Field in which the west wall and ditch of the fort are known to lie. It was found that of the west wall itself only the footings remained. Some 9' west of the wall was an inner ditch 20' wide which produced Roman and Medieval sherds. A space of only 1 foot separated this ditch from the outer one. Despite shortage of time the intervallum road was located 15' east of fort wall. Immediately to the east of the road were the foundations of 2 parallel walls some 7' apart and separated by a floor of large cobbles. (6)
NY 22176267: A rescue excavation on this site, prior to building operations, revealed the west gate, fort defences, intervallum road and barrack block. It was originally a timber built fort of Hadrianic date with turf and clay ramparts. This was replaced in stone, probably in the late Hadrianic period. Major rebuilding also took place in the third century. (7)
MAIA or MAIUM - The Roman fort at Bowness on Solway, Cumbria. (8)
(Maia NY 223 627) Excavations in 1988 showed that the east defences lie circa 33m west of where previously thought. The fort measures 188 x 128m, an area slightly larger than Housesteads or Birdoswald. The wall, 1.3-1.5m wide on a foundation of cobbles and clay, was inserted in front of a primary clay rampart; an interval tower 2m wide internally was later added between the gate and the angle. Later the berm, 3.5m wide, was cobbled for easier access to the external wall-face. The inner ditch, 4.5m wide by 2m deep, was V-shaped; it had silted heavily before the wall collapsed. The outer ditch, 2m wide by 1m deep, had been recut before being backfilled and capped with cobbles. The position of the north guard chamber of the east gate had been totally disturbed. It is suggested that, like Great Chesters and Housesteads which are similarly confined behind the Wall, the fort faced east, and that the modern road between the east and west gates skirts the north side of the principia. (9)
Sketch plan of pre-1985 excavations of fort and environs. (10)
'MAIA' accepted for Ordnance Survey 4th edition Roman Britain Map. (11)
No visible remains. (12)
The James Irwin Coates Archive: two depictions of a windmill in the north-west corner of the fort, together with the kiln and associated buildings (paintings dated 1879). Figs 172-3, page 49 in this publication. (13)
Excavation report on the 1988 investigations. At Church Lane a V-shaped ditch was identified approximately 30m from the conventional location of the south-east corner of the fort, and a further indicator that the fort was smaller than hitherto supposed. (13)
In the field immediately east of the Post Office excavations revealed the east fort wall and part of the ditch defences, including a sequence of phases that pre-dated the establishment of the fort. (13)
At 2.38 hectares Bowness is the second largest fort on Hadrian's Wall, but is closer in size to the forts known to have held military units: Housesteads and Birdoswald. The discovery of an old ground surface and other features with struck flints establishes that the Romans were not the first occupiers of the site. The fort's turf defences were probably converted into stone at some point in the 2nd century AD. The samian pottery strongly suggests the fort was not occupied while the Antonine Wall was in use in the middle of the second century. There was also evidence for continuity of settlement and post-Roman adaptation of the fort and structures. (13)
Located on the English Heritage map of Hadrian's Wall 2010. (14) |