Attack on Birdoswald Fort
Who Fought
History & Significance
Birdoswald Roman Fort, known to the Romans as Banna, was one of the 16 forts on Hadrian's Wall. Built in the 2nd century AD, Banna, as a site, continued to be used well beyond Roman occupation. After a short period of desertion, the site was reoccupied around the 13th century and was used as a farm up until 1984.
Birdoswald lies towards the western end of Hadrian's Wall and is one of the best preserved forts along the wall. It is also attached to the longest surviving stretch of Hadrian's Wall. As of June 2023, over 200 students have worked on excavations at the site.
Cumbria County Council were responsible for the management of Birdoswald fort from 1984 until the end of 2004, when English Heritage assumed responsibility.
The Romans referred to the fort at Birdoswald as Banna, meaning 'peak' or 'horn' in Celtic, reflecting the geography of the site on a triangular spur of land bounded by cliffs to the South and East, commanding a broad meander of the River Irthing in Cumbria below.
Little evidence exists of pre-Roman occupation of the area; the land was too boggy or steep to farm so the area had remained uncleared of trees. A stone-lined pit, presumably a burial cist or grave, is the only evidence of activity at this time.
Just as the rest of Hadrian's Wall, the Western part on which Birdoswald now sits was probably originally built starting from 122 AD. The site was chosen for its strategic position, but that meant that, before any building could commence, the area had to be cleared of trees and the bog drained. Banna was intended to protect a crossing at the river Irthing, where a bridge had been constructed at roughly the same time as the wall. This section of the wall was originally built as a turf wall with free-standing stone turrets and a tented camp South of the later fort, possibly for legionary soldiers who were building the wall.
The first fort was build around 125 AD, but very little is known of this first fort. Evidence suggests that it was built of turf and timber, and possibly straddled the turf wall. Its size is uncertain. To the South of the fort was what's known as the Vallum, a vast earthwork running the length of the wall, passable only really by causeways leading to the South gate of each fort. It's purpose is also not certain.
The original timber fort was rebuilt in stone sometime around 130 AD, the walls built at this time are those still enclosing the site today. The new fort was built larger than the previous timber one, being 2.12 hectares, and also straddled the turf wall, with the North, East, and West gates all situated to the North of it. Minor East and West gates were situated South of the turf wall. The interior was filled with a complex, with all the trapping of a Roman fort: a small number of objects also suggesting that the garrison first stationed at Banna may have been a cavalry or, at least, a partly-mounted unit.
The ground they fought on
The site of Attack on Birdoswald Fort lies on Yoredale Group, bedrock that formed in the Bashkirian. The rock here is limestone, argillaceous rocks and subordinate sandstone, interbedded.
Frequently Asked Questions
Everything a full report reveals about Attack on Birdoswald Fort
This page covers Attack on Birdoswald Fort. A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this battle alongside scheduled monuments and everything else the record holds within a few miles:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Scheduled Monuments near Attack on Birdoswald Fort
Battles near Attack on Birdoswald Fort
Explore the landscape around Cumbria
Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any location in the UK — drawing on Domesday records, scheduled monuments, Victorian OS maps, geological data and archaeological archives to tell the full story of a place.
- History of Birdoswald Roman Fort · English Heritage
- Banna (Birdoswald) · Wikipedia
- Carausian revolt · Wikipedia