Roman Fortlet · Military

Oxton

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: 37433207
Site type
Fortlet
Category
Military
Latitude
55.7821
Longitude
-2.8132
Overview

History & context

ROMAN FORTLET (R) (site of) A small Roman fort, first recognised from the air in 1956, can still be traced on the ground although reduced by ploughing. The defences consist of two ditches and a substantial rampart, perhaps 20ft wide, with angles turned in bold curves. The fort measures about 150ft square over rampart crests. On the NE side is an annexe, perhaps 100ft square, defended by a single ditch. Since the defences are unbroken on the NW and SW, a gate may be presumed in the SE rampart (J K St Joseph 1958). Two sherds of Antonine samian pottery, found in the area of the fort when ploughing, are now in the National Museum of Antiquities of Scotland [NMAS] (Accession nos: FR 691-2). C Martin 1967; NMAS MS Accessions List No trace of this fortlet could be seen when visited in 1965, and in 1975 the field was under a crop of wheat and nothing of significance was seen. Visited by OS (EGC) 15 January 1965 and (BS) 16 April 1975 Annexes identified on the NE (two; one broad - and one narrow - ditched), on the NW (one, narrow - ditched), and on the SE; this last is by far the largest, enclosing an area of about 2 ha. G S Maxwell and D R Wilson 1987 Loading... 0 Activities Close all References Borthwick H . (2010) Channelkirk Tales: A social history of the Oxton area, Kelso. RCAHMS Shelf Number: D.1.13.CHA Frere S S . (1978a) Britannia: a history of Roman Britain, 2nd London. Page(s): 136 Frere S S . (1984) 'Roman Britain in 1983. I. Sites explored', Britan

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

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Oxton?

ROMAN FORTLET (R) (site of) A small Roman fort, first recognised from the air in 1956, can still be traced on the ground although reduced by ploughing. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a fortlet site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Oxton?

Oxton is classified as a Roman fortlet — 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 Oxton?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Elginhaugh Roman fort (21.1 km), Trimontium (21.7 km), Traprain Law (22 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 Oxton?

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Everything a full report reveals about Oxton

This page covers the Roman site at Oxton. 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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