Chesters Roman Fort from the air. Copyright Reserved: Museum of Antiquities, Newcastle upon Tyne.

(NY 9117 7016) CILVRNVM ROMAN FORT (G.S.C.) (1)

See attached pamphlet 'Chesters Roman Fort'. (M.O.W.). (2)

Published survey (25 inch) revised. (3)

The south-west part of the Commandant's house was excavated by R P Harper in 1960, where evidence was found of three main building periods. (See plan). Name CILVRNVM accepted for 4th edition Roman Britain map. (4)

Additional bibliography. (5)

7th century AD bronze brooch found in 19th century within Roman settlement. (6)

Chester's Roman fort was built to guard the bridge that carried Hadrian's Wall and the Military Way over the river. Evidence has shown that the fort was constructed after, and overlies, the Wall. It encloses an area of about 2.1 hectares. The upstanding masonry is best preserved in the south east corner where it survives to a height of 1.9 metres. Visible remains of the interior include the headquarters building, commandant's house, barrack blocks and fort gates. The extensive remains of the vicus are located to the south of the fort and have been identified through aerial photographs. The bath house to the east of the fort includes remains of the paved floor, hypocaust, various hot and cold rooms and an overflow drain. In the 1880's, the remains of 33 human skeletons, two horses and a dog were found within the vicinity of the bath house. Monumental masonry found by the river suggests that this was the location of the cemetery. A Roman road runs from the south gateway of the fort to the Stanegate road. Scheduled. (7)

Magnetometry and resistivity geophysical survey of an area to the east and south of the fort in 2003. Possible traces of a road running from the bridge towards the east gate of the fort were noted in a negative anomaly that from the Wall to the bath house. A possible gyrus (horse training circuit) seems to have been centred on the east gate and would have necessitated the abandonment of the road from the bridge to the gate, as well as demolition of buildings on the site. The survey results suggests remains of buildings were little more than spreads of stone and mortar.
The size of the buildings in transect 2 is significant, suggesting at least one was built around a courtyard. The extent of buildings in transects 3 and 4 hint at the large vicus to the south and west of the fort. Evidence of possible field systems was found. The line of the vallum is blurred and insubstantial positive geophysical readings suggest it was left open for some time. A number of features close to the riverbank may be Roman in date.
Traces of ridge and furrow were detected, although they cannot definitely be dated to the medieval period. A number of rectilinear features and a circular one may be the remains of building foundations. Many other smaller anomalies may be pits. (8)

Site appears in a national review of military aqueducts as site number 27. Two aqueducts are known coming into the fort through the northern and western gates. The construction of one aqueduct is dated to 180-84 AD (possibly the northern), and it is suggested that the western is later than the second century. Discussion is made of the various possibilities and also the water requirements of the garrisons. (9)

A series of finds were made during May 2012 in limited watching brief work undertaken in the surroundings of Chesters Roman fort. These were all made in topsoil and likely derived from the fort and surrounding occupation. These include a Black-Burnished ware sherd of a bowl or dish base, scraps of oxidised ware, tile and animal bone. (10)

A thesis was written by M Rowlands in 1939 which draws together information on the gateways, the defences of the fort and their relation to Hadrian's Wall, internal buildings including the Principia, Praetorium, barrack and other buildings, the bath house, inscriptions and the Chesters diploma. In appendices include information on the bridges, Roman roads in the vicinity of Chesters, graffiti on pottery at Chesters, potter's stamps on samian ware. (11)

A ground penetrating radar survey was undertaken by Met Geo Environmental in order to identify and trace the course of a drainage conduit in the vicinity of the bath house complex. The drainage conduit was believed to feed an extant drinking trough with ground water. The survey successfully identified a potential location for the drainage conduit at an approximate depth range of between 0.4 m and 1.4 m. A number of anomalies with possible archaeological potential were also located. The drainage conduit appears to end within a dense concentration of possible archaeological remains. (12)

A single test pit was excavated by Alan Williams Archaeology next to Chesters House in order to establish whether Hadrian's Wall survived on the footprint of a proposed garden room. The test pit demonstrated that the construction of the 19th century service wing,which previously stood in this location, had truncated any earlier remains and cut into the sub-soil. The report concluded that there was little chance of Hadrian's Wall surviving in this part of the site. (13)

Name 'CILVRNVM' accepted for 3rd edition R.B.Map. (14a)

Centred at NY 9115 7015, are the earthwork remains of Chesters Roman fort. Chesters fort, which replaced Turret 27A, is situated on the W bank of the North Tyne at 70m OD. There is a well-preserved fort platform with much visible masonry resulting from numerous excavations, starting in 1843. The exposed parts of the fort wall indicate that the fort was laid out as a true rectangle measuring 122m by 173.5m internally. Exposed structures include the headquarters building, commandant's house, barrack blocks and fort gates. There are traces of a later building overlying the main W gate. The fort, like the vicus, is overlain by ridge-and-furrow cultivation. In the vicinity of the fort are other remains; possible cemeteries (NY 915 700 and NY 911 699), a well, supposed to be Roman (NY 9095 7015) and a bath house (NY 9129 7008). The fort and its environs were surveyed at 1:1000 by RCHME Newcastle June 1992 - January 1993. The report accompanying this survey provides a detailed account and includes a full bibliography. (14b)

In June 1992 a resistivity survey of the fort interior was undertaken. (14c)

A detailed account of the historical sources and a consideration of the extent of archaeological deposits on the site was prepared for English Heritage in 1993. (14d)

Chesters Roman fort is visible as earthworks, cropmarks, structures and demolished buildings, with associated roads visible as cropmarks on air photographs centred at NY 9115 7015. The fort is as described by authority 6. In addition fragments of internal roads and buildings are visible as parchmarks. Sections of the fort walls are also revealed by parching. (14e-f)

Chesters Fort was built to guard the Roman bridge which carried Hadrian's Wall and the military road over the River North Tyne. It was one of a series of permanent troop bases added during the construction of the Wall. Occupied for nearly three centuries, its six-acre area housed a cavalry regiment of around 500 men: in the 3rd century its garrison was a unit from Asturias in northern Spain. (14g)

Located on the English Heritage map of Hadrian's Wall 2010. (14h)

General association with HER 8625 (Roman road from Chesters to Stanegate). (14)