Excavation of west gate at Rudchester in 1924. Photo © Newcastle University, courtesy of the Museum of Antiquities/Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle

(NZ 11276755) Vindovala Roman Fort (G.S.C.). (1)

Vindovala survives as little more than a reduced platform with the ditch discernible on the west side only. It is under pasture and the southern half is observed by rig and furrow ploughing. Published survey (25 inch) revised. (2)

Rudchester, the Roman Vindobala, is a fort on Hadrian's Wall 6-3/4 miles from Benwell. The fort guards the valley of the March Burn to the west, while to the east the ground drops away to the Rudchester Burn. It measured 515 by 385 ft. over its rampart, enclosing approx 4.5 acres. Excavations in 1924 examined the gates and principal buildings. Four gates were of the normal double portal type and two were single portals. Inside the fort, the principia with its underground strongroom, a granary and a hypocaust in the praetorium were uncovered. In 1972 an area was excavated partly on and partly south of the via quintana, in the south east of the fort. It yielded the northern end of a stone barrack block of Hadrianic date, which had been burnt down, to be replaced in the late second or early third century by another barrack of similar design. This had eventually fallen into ruin and had never been rebuilt. In the late fourth century a final period of occupation occurred, attested by Crambeck and Huntcliffe pottery and a stone sill-beam with socket-holes for wooden uprights cut into its upper surface. Pre-Hadrianic plough marks were noticed in the clay sub-soil beneath the fort. Immediately above the clay sub-soil was a layer of dark earth rich in humus identified as the plough-soil. Although the surface of the subsoil was virtually flat, the upper surface of the plough-soil formed a series of undulations, similar to medieval ridge and furrow. (3-6)

Geophysical survey in 1988 by Durham University used two techniques - resistivity and shear-wave seismic refraction. The resistivity survey was used on the northern half of the fort and proved the existence of much of the outer wall and inner rampart as well as the north gate and north gatehouse. Also delineated a number of internal walls parallel to outer walls, and evidence for a cellar. Shear-wave seismic refraction survey located the ditch of the vallum to the west of Rudchester where it is obscured by medieval ridge and furrow. Proved that the vallum crosses the March Burn without deviation to a point 90m west of the fort, where it turns through 60 degrees, thus skirting the south of the fort. Shows the vallum was constructed contemporaneously with, or post-dates, the building of the fort. (7)(8)(9)

Scheduled Monument Consent granted to NCC 2nd December 1989 to lay a 32mm OD MDPE pipe approx 140m long at a depth of not less than 750mm underground. Replaces a smaller diameter pipe on the same route. (10)

An archaeological survey was carried out by Colm O'Brien in June 1989 to locate the position of the water main. Seven trenches were excavated (four of which located the main). Trench 5, outside the fort defences revealed that the existing main had damaged a stone structure immediately below the turf. Evidence from the other trenches showed that deposits were overlain by a deep ploughsoil with ridge and furrow, and that Roman deposits were disturbed at depths between 0.3m and 0.5m below the surface. (11)

Scheduled Monument Consent granted to NCC 8th March 1989 for maintenance work to existing stock fencing, which included excavating for new fence posts west of the fort. (12)

Surveyed at 1:1000 in October 1990 by RCHME (Newcastle). (13)

NZ 114675. Oval lead sealing found in 1982 to the south west of Rudchester fort. Measures 27mm x 19mm. Found by K Clarke with a metal detector. Donated to Museum of Antiquities, Newcastle. (14)

Bronze figurine (of Attis?) and other bronze objects from Rudchester. In Museum of Antiquities, Newcastle, 1983.16 and 1983.17. Lent by D Ray and given by K Clarke, respectively. (15)

Roman sculpture from Rudchester (Vindobala):-
i) statue of Hercules, fd C18. In Museum of Antiquities acc no 1839.9, 1840.6. C2/C3 AD;
ii) altar to Mithras from Mithraeum, fd 1844. In Museum of Antiquities acc no 1931.42. RIB 1395. C3 AD;
iii) altar to Mithras, fd 1844. In Museum of Antiquities acc no 1931.43. RIB 1398. C3 AD;
iv) altar to Sol Apollo Mithras, fd 1844. In Museum of Antiquities acc no 1845.1. RIB 1397. C3 AD;
v) altar to Sol (Mithraic), fd 1844. In Museum of Antiquities acc no 1931.41. RIB 1396. C3 AD;
vi) head of a Dadophoros, fd 1953. In Museum of Antiquities acc no 1956.129.15. C3 AD;
vii) head of a Dadophoros, fd 1953. Location unknown. C3 AD;
viii) limb of a Dadophoros, fd 1953. In Museum of Antiquities acc no 1956.129.28. C3 AD;
ix) Mithraic statue, fd 1844. Destroyed when discovered. C3 AD;
x) building stone, fd before 1732. Now lost. Probably Hadrianic;
xi) altar, fd before 1772. In Museum of Antiquities acc no 1837.9. C2/C3 AD?
xii) relief of a 'victimarius', fd before 1849. Now lost. C2/C3 AD;
xiii) relief of a 'Lituus' and an altar(?), seen before 1732. Now
lost. From near Rudchester, at or near Harlow Hill. C2/C3 AD;
xiv) relief of a building or tumulus, fd between High Seat and Harlow Hill, before 1732. Now lost. Probably C2/C3. (16)

The fort rampart survives best to the south of the Military Road; the fort platform is 1.4m high along the southern side. The west rampart survives only as a scarp, 0.6m high. The north rampart is represented by a broad shallow scarp, standing up to 1.6m high. The northern side
of the fort has suffered more from ploughing than the southern side. The ditch of the fort is only visible in a short stretch on the west side, 0.7m deep.
The interior of the fort has no surface features visible in the area north of the Military Road. South of the road the interior is covered by late 18th century ridge and furrow.
A series of terraces between Rudchester and the mithraeum are probably representative of the vicus; there is no dating evidence for the surviving earthworks. The terraces are up to 3.2m high, but are mostly only 0.3m to 1.5m high.
The Giant's Grave is a rock cut cistern 3.9m by 1.5m internally and a maximum 0.5m deep. It is a unique survival in the northern frontier zone. (17)

Seismic refraction survey completed using shear waves and compression waves, to the south-west and south of the fort; the complete course of the vallum was located. The asymmetrical course of the vallum around the fort suggests it may already have been under construction to the west when the decision to build the fort was taken. (18)

Watching brief on trench dug to renew water pipe in December 1991. The existing water pipe was removed and a larger pipe laid at a greater depth (0.76m). The pipe ran north-south between Rudchester Farm and the B6318. The course of the pipe had already been examined in part by O'Brien in 1989. The new trench was able to be dug to a variable depth to accommodate some features. The trench ran for 132.6m between manhole covers.
Several features were revealed some of which may be Roman. A wall found between 14.3m-17.31m from the north end of the trench appeared Roman in form and style but its alignment was not that expected. Gutter blocks at 34m may indicate a road nearby but may be reused. A
stone feature at 37.2m and the threshold block at 40m may indicate an east-west aligned building in the praetentura. The foundation at 45m may also be associated with this 'building'. A flagged floor between 60m-65m and at a depth of 0.7m, may represent the via sigularis. No trace of the fort wall was found at c.70m although some large stones may be derived from it. Between 72m and 88.5m may represent the remains of extramural buildings from the vicus at a depth between 0.4m and 0.55m. (19)

An excavation and watching brief were carried out at Rudchester Farm in advance of the installation of an underground electricity cable. Its course ran through the northern part of the farm to electricity lines between the farm buildings and the southern rampart of the fort; it measured 1m wide and between 0.625m and 0.875m deep. A series of pits and narrow linear features were uncovered in the northern part of the trench and are almost certainly Roman in date, lying just beyond the fort ditches. A layer of geotextile was laid over features lying below the maximum depth permitted for excavation; two pits were excavated. The southern part of the trench revealed relatively modern attempts to make up and level the ground as well as a patch of cobbling and a charcoal spread; these latter features are of uncertain date. The lack of later intrusions in this area is believed to question the presence of the vicus under this part of the farm. (20)

Scheduled. (21)

A watching brief by LUAU, at NZ 11256755, observed no archaeological deposits. (22)

An evaluation by Tyne and Wear Museums at Stable Cottage did not reveal any Roman deposits. They are thought to lie at a depth greater than the 350mm excavated. The only feature revealed was a drain which predated the present building. (23)

An evaluation by The Archaeological Practice in 2000 revealed Roman deposits and features, including the vallum ditch. (24)

A geophysical survey was undertaken on the route of Tyneside North Circular Trunk Main in Northumberland and Tyne and Wear between 2006 and 2008. Fifteen geophysical survey areas were positioned along the 40m wide pipeline corridor, five of which were in Northumberland (Areas 1-5). Fluxgate gradiometer surveys were undertaken in each of the survey areas with resistivity being carried out where the pipeline crossed the line of Hadrian's Wall (Area 1). Evidence of the vallum ditch, southern bank and possibly the northern bank were revealed in Area 1a. Soil filled features, possibly ditches or pits were also recorded in the same survey block. (25)

During a watching brief to lower the floor level of a barn at Rudchester Manor a number of large, dressed stone blocks were removed. Several were re-used Roman masonry, some with mouldings, tool marks and possible beam settings; none was inscribed. They are likely to derive from the fort and its associated structures. (26)

The fort was surveyed by RCHME at 1:1000 in 1990.
The best preserved scarps of the fort rampart are to the S of the Military Road where the fort platform is up to 1.4m high. In the SE corner a slight hollow probably marks the position of the robbed-out corner tower. There are breaks in the scarps where the S and minor W gates have been excavated. The spina of the main W gate is in situ but turf-covered. The N part of the fort, which is under the plough, is defined only by a broad shallow scarp but the platform is nevertheless up to 1.6m high. The fort ditch is visible only on the W side where it survives as an earthwork, 0.7m deep, for a short distance. To the N of the Military Road the interior of the fort is devoid of features. To the S it is dominated by slight but distinct ridge-and-furrow cultivation. Other visible features are mainly the result of stone-robbing and excavations. Geophysical surveys within the fort were undertaken in 1987, revealing the fort wall on either side of the NW corner, confused remains of buildings in the NW quarter and more coherent traces of buildings, aligned E-W, in the SE corner (27b and c). Full RCHME survey information, including a detailed report, is available in the NMR Archive. (27a)

A plan and brief description was published in 1991. (27d)

Scheduled (27e)

The fort was visible as earthworks on air photographs in 1930. The fort platform and ditch was visible on three sides, the N, W and S. Medieval ridge and furrow (See NZ16NW 124) and post medieval ridge and furrow (see NZ16NW 126) lie within the fort and the latter overlies and has slighted the northern ditch. (27f)

There are several depictions in the James Irwin Coates Archive (1877-1896). (27g)

Located on the English Heritage map of Hadrian's Wall 2010. (27h)

General association with HER 10853 (Turret 13b), HER 3083 (Military Way), HER 10898 (Rudchester Mithraeum), HER 31244 (ridge and furrow), and HER 31021 (ridge and furrow). (27)