Roman BritainEaster Happrew Roman Fort
Roman Fort · Military

Easter Happrew Roman Fort

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: 89173
Site type
Fort
Category
Military
Latitude
55.6478
Longitude
-3.2811
Overview

History & context

NT (Name: NT 1940 4010) Roman Fort (R) (site of) Roman Buildings (R) (site of) This fort was first discovered on APs (F 2182/RAF/1270, 49-51) in 1955 and excavated in 1956, when it was shown to be rhomboidal in plan, measuring 380' each way within the rampart, enclosing just under 3 1/2 acres, appropriate to an infantry regiment 500 strong. The defences consisted of a turf rampart, 25'6" thick, the front portion of which rested on a stone pitching, and a single ditch, 12' wide by 5' deep. This latter feature was probably omitted on the N side, where the rampart, itself now partly eroded, was drawn along the edge of a steep scarp. Three gates are visible on APs, in the E, S, and W sides respectively, but the E and W gates are not exactly opposite each other: as shown on plan, there may have been a fourth gate in the N side. Only a portion of the praetorium was examined. It lay immediately N of the E gate, showing that the fort faced S, and was built of wattle-and-daub on a timber framework. Like the defences, it showed no signs of reconstruction. The gravel used for surfacing the roads in and around the fort was obtained from a quarry near the E defences, while beyond the quarry, APs showed traces of three timber-framed buildings, one of which (2 on plan), may have been a mansio. These buildings do not seem to have been enclosed, unless a ditch photographed by St Joseph (AP AAK 25) in the next field to the E is part of a contemporary defence, but another AP (ACJ 14), shows a small annexe to the W side of the fort, enclosed by a narrow ditch, measuring c. 200' E-W by 160' N-S, with an entrance in the N. All the dateable relics recovered - pottery, glass, and a sestertius of Vespasian, were late 1st century AD, and it seems likely that this fort was established during the Agricolan invasion, and it may have been abandoned in favour of Lyne () shortly after AD 86. RCAHMS 1967, visited 1962 When field investigated in 1961, no trace of this fort could be seen, the area being under crop. Visited by OS (EGC) 28 July 1961 As described. There is no trace of the fort on the ground. Site surveyed at 1:2500. Visited by OS (DWR) 5 July 1971 Photographed by the RCAHMS in 1976 and 1977. NT 196 401 (fort) Casual finds over a number of years indicate the presence of Roman activity, perhaps annexes and a vicus, around the fort at Easter Happrew and on the low-lying ground below it. All datable finds confirm Flavian activity. The finds are in Scottish Borders Museums; full details are held by NMS. F Hunter 1999 Loading... 0 Activities Close all 130

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

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Easter Happrew Roman Fort?

NT (Name: NT 1940 4010) Roman Fort (R) (site of) Roman Buildings (R) (site of) This fort was first discovered on APs (F 2182/RAF/1270, 49-51) in 1955 and excavated in 1956, when it was shown to be rhomboidal in plan, measuring 380' each way within the rampart, enclosing just under 3 1/2 acres, appropriate to an infantry regiment 500 strong. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a fort site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Easter Happrew Roman Fort?

Easter Happrew Roman Fort is classified as a Roman fort — 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 Easter Happrew Roman Fort?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Lyne (0.8 km), Tocherknowe (13.6 km), Castle Greg (23.9 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 Easter Happrew Roman Fort?

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This page covers the Roman site at Easter Happrew Roman Fort. A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this site alongside scheduled monuments and everything else the record holds within a few miles:

Overview
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Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
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Legal
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