Bowes Roman Fort
The Roman name “Lavatrisis” meant “summit”
Location
Bowes Roman Fort location
Bowes Roman Fort is located in west Durham, at the eastern end of the Stainmore Pass across the Pennines. The main road from Carlisle to York goes through the Pass and just north of the fort. Bowes is 15 miles east of Brough and under 20 miles North West of Catterick.
BOWES ROMAN FORT WITH OUTLINE OF WALLS
The Stainmore Pass was an important crossing of Pennines. During the invasion of northern England the Governor of Britain, Cerialis subdued the Brigantes in Yorkshire. He then crossed the Pennines through this pass with the 9th Legion, to join Agricola, then legate of 20th legion, who had moved north, west of the Pennines. They then marched north to Carlisle to build the first fort around 72AD.
Bowes Roman Fort is south of the village and the Roman road with a moated medieval 12th century castle. It was first built when the area was first occupied by Agricola probably before 80AD It is on the north bank of the River Greta.
Description
The first forts were turf and wood with large boulders set in river clay.
BOWES-ROMAN-FORT WESTERN-RAMPART
The 3rd century was a stone structure was a square 430ft, with an area of 4 acres. The HQ building was south of the vicarage garden, excavated in1970’s as having 6 periods, 2 of turf and possibly 4 of stone. Only the South and part of the West Walls are visible.
BOWES-ROMAN-FORT SOUTHERN-RAMPART
The medieval castle was built in the northwest corner of the fort surrounded by a deep moot, destroying North West ramparts. North of the fort a ditch has been found indicating an annex at some time.
A 3rd /4th century bathhouse was found South East of the nearer the river, it appears to have been burned and rebuilt. It was relatively small at 20ft by 30ft
400ft east of the fort indications of a civil settlement was identified with a road linked with timber buildings. It is more likely that this community extended both east and west of the fort.
Hundreds of feet north of the fort an aqueduct has been found supplying the fort with water; dating to the later 2nd century or a few years later.
Garrison
The fort was garrisoned from 80Ad to the end of the fourth century with about 500 troops to control the eastern exit from the pass. The garrison in the Hadrianic period was probably the 4th Cohort of Frisiavones of which little is known, except that it is likely they were infantry.
By the end of the 2nd century The 1st Part mounted Cohort of Thracians, which means up to 120 were mounted. They were originally from Bulgaria, but it is a matter of conjecture whether were any Bulgarians in the regiment when they arrived at Bowes.
BOWES-MEDIEVAL-CASTLE-BUILT-OF BOWES-ROMAN-STONE