Blakehope Roman Fort is located east of A68, a quarter of a mile south of where the road joints A696, a mile north west of Otterburn. The fort is on a low plateau, a quarter of a mile south of where Dere St crosses the River Rede. It was built inside a large marching camp. It is about 20 miles north of Corbridge and 5 miles south of High Rochester.

Detail

 It is on a plateau west of the River Rede, 3.25 acres measuring 420 by 390ft for what was an infantry fort. It was turf and wooden wall. There has been little excavation, it has been indicated that there are significant remains to be unearthed in the future. There was an annex south east of the fort. The camp is bisected by the road, which indicated that the road was built later than the camp There is an additional camp a quart of a mile south down Dere St, which is under A68 for some of the way to Corbridge.

History

There is no dating evidence for Blakehope Roman Fort or the marching camp. As stated the road is later than the camp, but roads evolve over a period moving from a track to a first class “roman roads”. Agricola, the British Governor, started his invasion of “Scotland” in 79/80 AD, and the marching camp had to be part of this incursion.

The fort came later to control the Dere St, which became an important road built with a bed of large stone, with a layer of smaller stones followed by a layer of gravel.

The fort was useful as long as Dere St was important, with the fort at Newstead being overwhelmed and abandoned, about 100 AD. Dere St was not significant and had no further use for the next 40 years.

When the next “Scottish invasion” occurred 50 years later the site at Risingham, 5 miles further south was built and Blakehope Roman Fort was abandoned.