A Roman fort with no name identified
Location
Lancaster Roman Fort was at the lowest fordable point on the River Lune about 8 miles from the estuary.
History
In 71 AD Cerialis, an experienced commander was appointed governor of Britain with the express purpose of starting the conquest of the rest of the island.
The Northern of England was largely controlled by the Brigantes tribe, excluding what we now call Cumbria and Humber around modern Hull.
The tribe had agreed to an alliance with Rome back in Claudius’ brief visit to the island in 43AD, this worked for a few years until decent in the tribe began about 15 years later, when it became a problem.
Cerialis moved into the territory soon after his appointment, the legionary fortress was established at York about 71AD, for further details click here.
Lancaster was probably occupied as early as 71AD. The first fort was located on what is now called Castle Hill, a small hill very close to the River Lune, which was an excellent location overlooking the estuary and the coastal plain. The medieval castle was built largely within this fort a thousand years later.
Probably in A72 Agricola moved north to join Cerialis, his commander possibly at Brough west of the Stainmore Pass, having subdued the Brigantes in Yorkshire. The whole army then moved north through Cumbria to conquer Carvettii and their capital at (click to read about it) Carlisle, where their fort was built in 72/73AD.
First Fort
The fort was constructed of clay and timber, probably square about 5.5 acres, just under 600ft each side. Each side had two V-shaped ditches. This was probably one of the first forts in the region perhaps as early as Ribchester and Carlisle.
The area had been conquered by Agricola as legate of the XXth Legion, who probably built the fort and was responsible for occupying the North West south of Cumbria.
The River Lune just north of the fort was accessible to the sea for Roman shipping, although no port facilities have ever been found, which is not surprising. It is likely to have been used to supply the army in the north.
It was a cavalry fort.
Second Fort
About 90 AD the fort was extended, mainly north, to 10 acres, possibly to house troops returning from “Scotland”. The main gate was moved to the north was from the east wall. It continued to have a clay and timber ramparts.
Shortly after this, the fort was completed the fort was abandoned for a few years, but an inscription identifies that it was re occupied by 102.AD
Third Fort
Shortly after re occupation a six feet wide stone wall was built immediately outside the clay rampart, with no change in the shape of the fort. A road was found from the Northgate to a crossing of the River Lune. Like many of the northern forts it was abandoned about 140 AD with the advance into “Scotland”.
With the withdrawal from “Scotland” the fort was reoccupied around 160AD, only to be abandoned again by the end of the century.
By the middle of the third century the fort was re occupied by another cavalry regiment a one with the Numenus Barcarariorium a unit of boatmen, who remained after the cavalry, had moved on.
There is almost no information about the interiors of any of the forts.
The Courtyard Building its Bath House and Civil Settlement
Outside the walls of the second and third forts a courtyard building was found, with have been significantly modified over the years. The use of the Courtyard Building is unknown; the possibilities are house/office of a high civilian official or a Mansio, accommodation for visiting officials.
A major change was the construction of a bathhouse for the existing building, it was sufficiently big to initially be considered to be the fort’s Bath House. The remains of this bathhouse are the most prominent remains from the Roman era.
Civil Settlement
The Civil Settlement existed to some degree around the Courtyard Building and also east of the fort. Most are covered by the current city. It may have been quite prosperous; a cavalry regiment were better paid.
By the late 4th century it had probably moved into the fort.
Wery Wall
Close to the corner of the cold room was the Wery Wall, shown above on the right. It is the core of a bastion for the Fourth Fort.
Fourth Fort
The Wery Wall/ Bastion is the only visible remains of this fort, but the realigned northern wall of the fourth fort has been identified. It was built over the bathhouse which had been partially demolished. It extended South West. The rest of the fort has been built over for 1500 years and is not able to be identified. From the above information, the fort has been identified as a “Saxon Shore Fort”. (See below) It was probably built about 330AD.
The bastions would have looked like this, except with facing stone making them look larger. It was built to withstand large numbers of seaborne raiders, mainly from Ireland or “Scotland”.
There are indications that occupation continued into the fifth century.
Saxon Shore Forts
Saxon Shore Forts started to be built in the 3rd century to the threat from maritime raiders, particularly on the East and South coasts. During the 3rd century, just about every town had built a wall or an earth rampart around the town, many walls had similar to these forts. These forts were totally different in their construction and fundamental purpose. The whole structure is designed to survive a siege, unlike the Wall forts which were never designed to physically stop an invasion force. The bastion was always protruding from the fort wall providing cover for the wall with military artillery fire and archers.
Over a dozen such forts have been found and there are probably more to find, the key factor was they had 10ft thick walls with bastions, which almost solid, jutting outside the wall giving cover fire to the walls. Similar forts were also built on the coast on the Continent.
They were of all size and shapes but had similar external defences, twenty feet high.
These forts were designed for a siege, using 4th century artillery, totally different from Wall fort, which just deflected a charging rabble.
The Walls have in many cases have survived because the forts were built on the coast and used the stones available and concrete. This kind of construction is less easily recycled and therefore less useful, except it became the ideal location for a medieval castle.
Of these forts, which are the only examples in Britain, can be found across the Empire can also be found in Wales and of course at Lancaster.
See the English Heritage Guide
Garrisons
The Ala I Augusta Gallorum Proculeiana
This cavalry regiment (ala) was probably the first garrison, formed in Gaul by The first Emperor Augusta, and named after its first commander Proculeiana. It was posted to Lancaster soon after it was built in AD71.
Standard compliment would be 480 in 16 troops (turma) of 30 cavalry men.
At this stage the nearest fort would be Ribchester over 20 miles away.
Later the ala moved to Chesters, probably about 125AD.
The Ala Gallorum Sebosiana
Again this cavalry regiment ((ala) was formed in Gaul and named after its first commander Sebosiana. It was at Lancaster probably after 125 AD, with a standard compliment. An inscription shows that this regiment was back for a period in the middle third century.
Numeri Barcariorum Tigrisiensium
This unit of boatmen was first identifying at Arbeia at South Shields in the late 3rd century, originally from the banks of the River Tigris in Iraq. It is assumed this unit controlled the Tyne estuary
Numeri Barcariorum may also have formed part of the garrison, in the middle of the fourth century and may even have formed the entire garrison during the remainder of the fort’s lifetime into the fifth century. It would have been involved in the coastal defences of the Lune and Ribble estuaries, as well as Morecombe Bay.