| Summary : The cropmark of a Roman temporary camp. A complex of military establishments, including two camps, a sequence of forts and a probable vexillation fortress, together with the later small fortified settlement or posting-station of Letocetum , has been recorded in the vicinity of the present village of Wall. The sites lie along Watling Street, the major Roman road from London to the legionary fortress of Wroxeter (Viroconium). The junction with Ryknield Street, a nodal point in the Roman road system of the region, lay only 0.5km ESE of the present village. About 80m to the S of Watling Street, the cropmarks of the rounded but slightly acute NW angle of what seems to be another camp, 2, are visible immediately SW of the defences of Letocetum. The N side of the camp appears to be cut through by these late perimeter ditches and the W side is overlain by the embankment of the Wall bypass, the present A5 road. The cropmark of a ditch, parallel to the town defences, also crosses the corner of the camp. The camp itself sits on the SSW-facing side of a small valley and its S extremity is likely to stop short of the flood plain, at least 100m from the stream. The topography, however, does not even hint at a possible location for the E side. The camp commands extensive views to the S, and to the E along Watling Street, but is overlooked from the W and also from the N by the spur on which the village of Wall stands. Topographically, each camp would have been quite satisfactory as an isolated unit. Nevertheless, the proximity of both to a sequence of forts which would have overlooked them, could suggest a relationship between the various establishments. |
More information : This camp has been assessed in connection with RCHME's survey and publication of Roman Camps in England. The following descriptive account is taken from the published text.
A complex of military establishments, including two camps, a sequence of forts and a probable vexillation fortress, together with the later small fortified settlement or posting-station of Letocetum (SK 00 NE 1), has been recorded in the vicinity of the present village of Wall. The sites lie along Watling Street, the major Roman road from London to the legionary fortress of Wroxeter (Viroconium). The junction with Ryknield Street, a nodal point in the Roman road system of the region, lay only 0.5km ESE of the present village (Margary 1973, 286, 291 (1a)).
About 80m to the S of Watling Street, the cropmarks of the rounded but slightly acute NW angle of what seems to be another camp, 2, are visible immediately SW of the defences of Letocetum (St Joseph 1973, 233 (1b)). The N side of the camp appears to be cut through by these late perimeter ditches (CUCAP BDX 15-17 (1c)) and the W side is overlain by the embankment of the Wall bypass, the present A5 road. The cropmark of a ditch, parallel to the town defences, also crosses the corner of the camp. The camp itself sits on the SSW-facing side of a small valley and its S extremity is likely to stop short of the flood plain, at least 100m from the stream. The topography, however, does not even hint at a possible location for the E side. The camp commands extensive views to the S, and to the E along Watling Street, but is overlooked from the W and also from the N by the spur on which the village of Wall stands.
Topographically, each camp would have been quite satisfactory as an isolated unit. Nevertheless, the proximity of both to a sequence of forts (Gould 1964 (1d), 1967 (1e); Round 1970 (1f)), which would have overlooked them, could suggest a relationship between the various establishments. Full information is included in the NMR Archive. (1)
Published source. (2) |