Roman BritainCoesike West temporary camps
Roman Military Camp · Military

Coesike West temporary camps

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: 941416849
Site type
Military Camp
Category
Military
Latitude
55.0252
Longitude
-2.2864
Overview

History & context

Coesike West comprises a sequence of overlapping Roman temporary camps situated immediately south of the Vallum on the central sector of Hadrian's Wall, near Turret 33b (Coesike). The camps are generally interpreted as short-term marching or construction camps, likely associated either with the building and maintenance of the Wall in the Hadrianic period (c. AD 122 onwards) or with later troop movements along the frontier.

Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →

Significance

Historical significance

The site is significant as part of the dense palimpsest of temporary camps strung along the Wall corridor, which provide evidence for the logistics of frontier construction and for the periodic gathering of working parties or troops in transit. The overlapping nature of the enclosures indicates repeated use of this particular ground, suggesting it was a recognised stopping point south of the linear barrier.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

The camps were identified primarily through aerial photography and earthwork survey rather than excavation, with cropmarks and slight surviving banks revealing multiple superimposed enclosures of varying size and orientation. No substantial excavation has been published for the Coesike West group, so dating and garrison size remain inferential, based on analogy with better-studied Wall-corridor camps such as those at Haltwhistle Burn and Burnhead.

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Coesike West temporary camps?

Coesike West comprises a sequence of overlapping Roman temporary camps situated immediately south of the Vallum on the central sector of Hadrian's Wall, near Turret 33b (Coesike). It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a military camp site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Coesike West temporary camps?

Coesike West temporary camps is classified as a Roman military camp — a military site in the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer. Roman Britain's archaeology encompasses thousands of sites ranging from legionary fortresses and marching camps to villas, temples and towns.

What other Roman sites are near Coesike West temporary camps?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Milecastle 34 (Grindon) (0.4 km), Grindon School Roman temporary camp (0.5 km), Turret 33B (Coesike) (0.6 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.

How can I research the history of the area around Coesike West temporary camps?

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