Roman fort (Newbrough and Fourstones)
(NY 86806799) A Roman fortlet about 195 feet north-south and 190 feet east-west was discovered by excavation in 1930 (a) in the churchyard of St Peter's Church, Newbrough. The pottery was all 4th century.
A cohort fort in the Stanegate series would be expected here, and surface indications, taken in conjunction with an early account by J P Gibson, suggested to Simpson that the fortlet had been inserted into the north-west corner of a larger fort, which, in turn, would occupy the available space between the Stanegate and the valley to the north. An extension of the churchyard has prevented further excavation; the proposition of a cohort fort here must, therefore, 'remain an inference only'. (1)
No surveyable outline of this fortlet survives. There are no apparent indications of a cohort fort in the area described above, or visible on available aerial photographs (RAF 1946).
See attached sketch-plan (copies from original (a)) for position of fortlet. (2)
A Roman fort measuring from the outer faces of the ramparts about 195 feet North-South by 190 feet East-West, occupying the site of St Peter's churchyard, Newbrough, was excavated by Simpson in 1930. The defences consisted of a typical Roman defensive ditch 15 feet wide by 5 feet deep and a masonry rampart wall 4 feet thick, set back about 16 feet from the ditch. An apparent causeway was visible across the ditch in the middle of the south side.
The fort is identical in size with the Stanegate forts at Haltwhistle Burn and Throp, but whereas the two latter are dated by pottery to the early 2nd century, certainly not later than Hadrian, the pottery and a coin of Constantine from Newbrough belong to the mid 4th century. Moreover, while stone ramparts of the Hadrianic period, such as Haltwhistle Burn, invariably had an earthwork backing, the Newbrough wall had no backing; the masonry appeared to be largely re-used material and the wall was of the same thickness as the walls of the Yorkshire coast signal stations of circa 370 AD, which also had no earthwork backing. The fort halves what would otherwise be the longest gap in the chain of Stanegate forts, and the explanation may be that it was originally contemporary with Haltwhistle Burn and Throp and that, after a brief occupation, it was deserted until the re-organisation of the frontier in the reign of Constans. (3)
(NY 86806799) Roman fortlet (site of). (4)
Located on the English Heritage map of Hadrian's Wall 2010. (5a)
General association with HER 7599 and HER 7616. (4)
A cohort fort in the Stanegate series would be expected here, and surface indications, taken in conjunction with an early account by J P Gibson, suggested to Simpson that the fortlet had been inserted into the north-west corner of a larger fort, which, in turn, would occupy the available space between the Stanegate and the valley to the north. An extension of the churchyard has prevented further excavation; the proposition of a cohort fort here must, therefore, 'remain an inference only'. (1)
No surveyable outline of this fortlet survives. There are no apparent indications of a cohort fort in the area described above, or visible on available aerial photographs (RAF 1946).
See attached sketch-plan (copies from original (a)) for position of fortlet. (2)
A Roman fort measuring from the outer faces of the ramparts about 195 feet North-South by 190 feet East-West, occupying the site of St Peter's churchyard, Newbrough, was excavated by Simpson in 1930. The defences consisted of a typical Roman defensive ditch 15 feet wide by 5 feet deep and a masonry rampart wall 4 feet thick, set back about 16 feet from the ditch. An apparent causeway was visible across the ditch in the middle of the south side.
The fort is identical in size with the Stanegate forts at Haltwhistle Burn and Throp, but whereas the two latter are dated by pottery to the early 2nd century, certainly not later than Hadrian, the pottery and a coin of Constantine from Newbrough belong to the mid 4th century. Moreover, while stone ramparts of the Hadrianic period, such as Haltwhistle Burn, invariably had an earthwork backing, the Newbrough wall had no backing; the masonry appeared to be largely re-used material and the wall was of the same thickness as the walls of the Yorkshire coast signal stations of circa 370 AD, which also had no earthwork backing. The fort halves what would otherwise be the longest gap in the chain of Stanegate forts, and the explanation may be that it was originally contemporary with Haltwhistle Burn and Throp and that, after a brief occupation, it was deserted until the re-organisation of the frontier in the reign of Constans. (3)
(NY 86806799) Roman fortlet (site of). (4)
Located on the English Heritage map of Hadrian's Wall 2010. (5a)
General association with HER 7599 and HER 7616. (4)
N7597
EXCAVATION, Excavation at St Peter's church, 1930; SIMPSON, F G
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1965; E C Waight
FIELD OBSERVATION, Ordnance Survey Archaeology Division Field Investigation 1965; E C Waight
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