The Pennines Under Rome KENNETH BOOTH Uncovers the History of Two Roman Forts on the Hills Above Saddleworth

26 PENNINE WONDER 4:6 The Pennines Under Rome KENNETH BOOTH uncovers the history of two Roman forts on the hills above Saddleworth O. JO' FORT. BUILT BY AGRICOLA AD 79-80 ABANDONED 1\\ ABOUT AD.90 FORTLET BUILT AD 104 diNfilf*W0117iMe .0! ABANDONED ABOUT AD125 A TIMBER GRANARIES WELL II III I PRESUMED STABLES 1E C C D ce 731 C TIMBER BARRACK BUILDING vr IT D PRESUMED WORKSHOP E "4", us PRESUMED HEADQUARTERS it E F TURF RAMPART OF FORT G PRESUMED CORNER TURRETS SMALL STONE BUILDING H WITH HYPOCAUST BEE-HIVE OVEN B h ti t PRESUMED SITE OF TIMBER BARRACKS K Boo Ken NOTE The forts lie on private ground and by permission must be obtained to visit. s The forts are in the care of the Ancient ing Monuments Branch of the Department of w a the Environment. NO DIGGING NO METAL DETECTORS d Dr 10 20 30 40 n Internal buildings known from excavation a 1=1 t now backfilled,and not visible Scale of Metres 6=91 Plan of Forts K Booth 1983 Tex If, on a map of Britain, a straight were collectively known as the Brig- ter by way of Newton Heath, it con- line be drawn joining Chester with antes. It was the newly-arrived gover- tinued through Failsworth and Old- York, it will be found that, to within nor, Petillius Cerialis, who commenced ham, entering Saddleworth at Auster- half a mile, it follows the route of the operations against the Brigantes in 71 lands. After traversing around High Roman road that connected the legi- AD. Within a short period of time he Moor and Knott Hill, it coursed its onary fortresses of Deva and Eboro- replaced Lincoln with a new legionary way up the Castleshaw Valley and cum. At approximately mid-way lies fortress at York. In 77 AD, Agricola eventually reached the summit of the site of the Roman forts at Castle- became governor. His first problem Standedge. Just below the summit, on shaw, (0.S. Grid Ref. SD999096). was to subdue North Wales, which he a spur of high ground, Agricola con- They lie on a spur of high ground at did using Chester as his base. This structed a fort (Castleshaw I) to guard the head of the Castleshaw Valley in took one year, and in 78 AD he turned the road. Saddleworth. There are two superim- his attentions to the Brigantes. It is It was a typical turf rampart, timber posed military works, the larger and probable that the legions carried out a gated, auxiliary fort, the four corners earlier (Castleshaw I), is a standard simultaneous advance from Chester facing the cardinal points. The mea- auxiliary fort of 21/2 acres; the smaller and York along the two well defined surements inside the ramparts were and later fortlet (Castleshaw II), whose natural routes to the north, with the approximately 300 feet by 360 feet, south-east rampart overlies that of the intention of isolating the Brigantes enclosing an area of almost 21/2 acres. larger fort, is half an acre in area. within the hill country of the Pennines. It is argued that the fort was founded About this time Agricola decided to in 80 AD and was abandoned after a Twenty eight years elapsed between connect Chester with York and it is the landing of the Romans at Rich- brief occupation, lying empty during now accepted that the advance into the last decade of the first century. No borough in 43 AD and the advance Yorkshire was made from Chester. into what is now Yorkshire. inscription or tile stamp has been found The road Agricola constructed that would give any clue to the identity About the year 71 AD, the time passed from Chester through North- of the cohort occupying the fort during was ripe for an attack upon the loose wich and Manchester, by-passing the this period. The layout of the fort confederacy of northern tribes, who fort at Castlefield. Leaving Manches- closely follows the standard pattern. PENNINE MAGAZINE 4:6 PENNINE WONDER 27 It would suggest, from the foundations a leaden lamp holder and two wooden found pottery, tiles and two coins of the buildings excavated, a garrison lances (pila muralia). Near the hypo- dating to Vespasian, 79 AD. A brief strength of approximately 500 men, caust were found a number of stamped reference to these will be found in Vol mainly infantry but with some cavalry tiles. It was originally thought that the XVI of the Transactions of the Lanca- (Cohorts quingeneriae equitatae). stamp was that of the Fourth Cohort of shire and Cheshire Antiquarian Soci- the Breuci, a unit known from the ety. After Mr Buckley's lease had Lying alongside the Roman road, Roman fort at Slack, near Hudders- expired, Ammon Wrigley returned to the fort had branch roads entering its field. Later thinking suggests that the the site and carried out further diggings west and east gates. The main road tile stamps are those of the Third finding more pottery and tiles. through the fort (the Via Principalis) Cohort of the Bracaraugustani, a unit On July 19th, 1907, the site was ran north to south, the road from the known from three English military dis- bought by Samuel Andrew and Major south gate joining the main Chester to charge diplomas and tile stamps found William Lees. Andrew was a member York road. A road has been traced at the adjacent forts at Manchester and of the Lancashire and Cheshire Anti- leaving the north gate for a short dis- Melandra, near Glossop. This cohort quarian Society and Lees a member of tance. was raised in Portugal, the modern the Yorkshire Archaeological Society. The ramparts, built mainly from turf, Braga representing their capital, Bra- They concentrated their efforts towards were 17 feet wide at the base which cara Augusta. The fortlet was probably the defences of the fort and the defen- would suggest a height of approxi- built to protect the Roman road, its ces and interior layout of the fortlet. mately 12 feet to the patrol walk. The garrison being no more than 160 men In 1908 they published their First timber palisade at the top would be in in strength. Evidence suggests that the Interim Report followed by their the region of 7 feet high. The rampart fortlet had been dismantled and was Second Interim Report in 1911. Both was protected by ditches around the unoccupied by 125 AD. reports contained a plan of the site outside. Each side had a gate in the and many splendid photographs. For centre, those on the west and east sides the first time an accurate layout of the were the main ones, the post holes site was available and buildings and found during excavation indicated roads have been found as well as the double portals, the remaining gates usual assortment of smaller finds. were single portal. The excavated buil- tritsvolok In 1923, Sir Ian Richmond published dings were all of timber construction. "AV a paper in Volume XL of the Trans- After a brief occupation of approxi- fit . actions of the Lancashire and Cheshire mately ten years, the fort was disman- , „,° EMI 31OPIMN Antiquarian Society entitled "The Se- tled and deserted, a change associated The East Gate quence and Purpose of the Roman with the advance into Scotland. Forts at Castleshaw". This paper put Evidence suggests that in the year Whilst Ammon Wrigley claims to forward evidence to date the forts and 104 AD the Romans returned to have discovered the site, it was in fact reasoning for their sequence. Castleshaw and built the fortlet. A mentioned in a paper presented by Richmond again recorded his find- section of the south east rampart of the Thomas Percival of Royton to the ings in the Tolson Museum Handbook earlier fort was utilised as the fortlet's Royal Philosophical Society of London No. IV, published in 1925 and entitled own south east defence. The ramparts in 1751. After describing the route of "Huddersfield in Roman Times". were again built of turf, but this time the Roman road from Manchester, he were set upon a rubble foundation, says: "at Castleshaw I was pleased to The site rested until 1957 when bounded by stone kerbs and drained find a double Roman Camp". The Manchester University began a series with small culverts. They were com- paper contained a plan of the forts, of excavations of the fort Castleshaw plete with timber palisades but only the earliest known to date. I. An interim report in 1957 by C. E .P. two gateways were made, one in the Rosser told of further work on the In 1897 Ammon Wrigley dug on the defences. Excavation continued and north side and the other in the south site what he describes as trial holes side. There is post hole evidence to in 1961 a further interim report was and found fragments of tile and pot- made by J. A. Petch, who told of suggest that the gates were single portal tery. timber structures, without guard cham- buildings being found in the north west bers, but probably with a rampart walk A year later, in 1898, a Mr G.F. corner of the fort. Work finished in above them. At each corner of the Buckley, a local worthy, leased the site, 1964 and a final report was made by fortlet were found the remains of rough hired five labourers and arranged for a F.H. Thompson. In this report Mr stone towers, possibly the footings for number of trenches to be dug.

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