More information : (NY 858 711) Civil Settlement (1)
The greatest concentration of external buildings was on the W side of Brocolitia, though Hodgson noted others S of the fort. (2-3)
Centred at NY 8582 7118, but extending for almost the length of the west side of the fort out to about 60m from the rampart, are substantial remains of terracing containing various indications of house platforms and building foundations. South of the fort, the remains are less identifiable, and form no intelligible pattern. (4)
The existence of a vicus is proved epigraphically by several inscriptions. The comments of Horsley and Hodgson have been confirmed by air photographs which reveals considerable traces of structures on both sides of the Military Way immediately outside the fort. The precise date of the civil development cnnot be ascertained without excavation, but some of the inscriptions suggest a C3-4 date. (5)
A drainage trench was dug south-east from the Mithraeum, (NY87SE147), but revealed no evidence of buildings within the vicus near the stream flowing from Coventina's Well. A road 3.5m wide paved with large square flags including reuesed material, led from the stream to a building, the platform of which is visible higher up the slope, 50m south-east of the Mithraeum. (6)
In 1984 RCHME Newcastle examined the vicus and surveyed the remains as a part of the Carrawburgh Survey at 1:1000 scale which, with the complementary field report, is lodged in the NMR. On the W side, six terraces with scarps up to 2.1m high have been cut into the slope parallel to the fort defences, and apparently overlying the N halves of all but one of the ditches. Like the fort itself, the stone buildings of the vicus have been badly robbed. (7)
Overall summary. (8)
Scheduled. (9)
The probable remains of a vicus on the west side of the fort of Brocolitia were seen and mapped from air photographs; as noted by previous authorities the remains appear to have been severely robbed. (10)
Located on the English Heritage map of Hadrian's Wall 2010. (11) |