Roman Fort · Military

Lyne

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: 309791778
Site type
Fort
Category
Military
Latitude
55.6517
Longitude
-3.2923
Overview

History & context

Roman Fort (R) Excavations in 1900, and later years have shown that this fort measures 544' E-W by 450' N-S within a rampart ranging from 20' to 32' in thickness at base, which is still traceable for the most part on the ground, particularly along the W side, where it is 8' high, and also at the NE corner. It was built of turf and earth, and supported on each side by a narrow kerb of natural boulders. The ditches vary from one to three (see plan), measuring from 9' - 18' wide, and 4-5' deep, but the medial and outer ditches, and possibly the inner one had mounds built along their margins. Except at the NE corner, these mounds have been levelled by cultivation, and also those beside the outer ditch are still visible along the E and S fronts. The buildings were built of red sandstone, with the principia in the centre, and to its S, a granary and the commandant's house, ranged round a courtyard. N of the principia was a large square building, presumably a store or workshop. The rest of the buildings were wooden, but except in the NE quarter, where two barracks and a possible stable were identified, they are not well known. There were annexes attached to the N and S sides. Originally they only enclosed ground lying to the W of the N and S gates, but the N annexe was later enlarged, and a ditch running S from the SE corner may represent a similar enlargement of the S annexe. No inscriptions have been found, but it is thought that the size of the fort is appropriate to a cohors millaria equitata, the presence of a mounted contingent being implied by the wide streets, and a horseshoe found in 1901. The fort was built in the late Antonine period, and probably occupied for only a few years. The finds made during the 1959-63 excavations were presented to the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland (NMAS). RCAHMS 1967, visited 1963; Proc Soc Antiq Scot 1968 When field investigated in 1961, the condition of this fort was found to be as described above. Visited by OS (EGC) 31 July 1961 Generally as described by RCAHMS. Resurveyed at 1:2500 from APs and RCAHMS plan. Visited by OS (RD) 22 July 1971 Photographed by the RCAHMS in 1976 and 1980. Loading... 0 Activities Close all 269

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

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Lyne?

Roman Fort (R) Excavations in 1900, and later years have shown that this fort measures 544' E-W by 450' N-S within a rampart ranging from 20' to 32' in thickness at base, which is still traceable for the most part on the ground, particularly along the W side, where it is 8' high, and also at the NE corner. 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 Lyne?

Lyne 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 Lyne?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Easter Happrew Roman Fort (0.8 km), Tocherknowe (12.9 km), Castle Greg (23.2 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 Lyne?

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Everything a full report reveals about Lyne

This page covers the Roman site at Lyne. 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
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
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
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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