Oakwood is a Flavian auxiliary fort situated on a low terrace above the Ettrick Water, about 5 km southwest of Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. Built around A.D. 80 during Agricola's northern campaigns, it covered approximately 1.8 hectares (4.5 acres) and was occupied only briefly, apparently abandoned by the mid-80s when the Flavian occupation of southern Scotland began to contract. It guarded the route from the upper Tweed basin towards Annandale, linking with the road network running north from Newstead (Trimontium).
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
Oakwood is one of the smaller Flavian garrison posts in the Selgovian territory, part of the network of forts established to control the tribes of the Southern Uplands following Agricola's advance. Its short single-period occupation makes it a useful chronological marker for the Flavian phase, uncomplicated by Antonine reoccupation seen at many neighbouring sites.
The fort was excavated by Ian Richmond and others in 1951–52, revealing a turf-and-timber defensive circuit with multiple ditches, four gates, and timber internal buildings including barracks, a principia, and granaries. A small annexe was identified to the east, and the pottery assemblage was consistent with a single Flavian occupation, with no evidence of Antonine return.
Oakwood is a Flavian auxiliary fort situated on a low terrace above the Ettrick Water, about 5 km southwest of Selkirk in the Scottish Borders. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a fort site from the Roman period in Britain.
Oakwood 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.
Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Trimontium (16.8 km), Cappuck (27.2 km), Easter Happrew Roman Fort (27.5 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.
Aubrey Research generates detailed historical reports for any location in Britain, incorporating Roman heritage, Domesday Book records, scheduled monument data, archaeological finds and much more. Enter a nearby address to begin.
Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in Britain — drawing on Roman heritage, Domesday records, scheduled monument data, archaeological finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.
Research the area around Oakwood Roman fort