Castleshaw, tentatively identified with the Rigodounon of Ptolemy's Geography, was a Roman auxiliary post in the Pennine foothills on the trans-Pennine road between Manchester (Mamucium) and Slack (Cambodunum). The site comprised two successive installations: a turf-and-timber auxiliary fort of c. 0.9 ha established under Agricola around AD 79, abandoned c. AD 90–95, and a smaller fortlet of c. 0.2 ha built on the same platform c. AD 105 and held intermittently until c. AD 125.
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
Its role was essentially logistical and policing — guarding the steep crossing of the Pennines via the Standedge pass through territory of the Brigantes — making it a typical link in the chain of small Flavian–Trajanic garrisons securing the northern road network rather than a major strategic base.
Excavations by F.A. Bruton (1907–08), Sir Ian Richmond, and later by John Walker and the Greater Manchester Archaeological Unit (1984–88) have traced the defences, principia, granaries, and barracks of the fort, and the gateways, internal buildings, and ovens of the fortlet; finds include samian, coarsewares, and military fittings consistent with the Flavian–Hadrianic occupation, though no inscription securing the unit or ancient name has been recovered.
Castleshaw, tentatively identified with the Rigodounon of Ptolemy's Geography, was a Roman auxiliary post in the Pennine foothills on the trans-Pennine road between Manchester (Mamucium) and Slack (Cambodunum). It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a fort site from the Roman period in Britain.
Rigodounon? 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 Blackstone Edge Roman road See also WEST YORKSHIRE 32 (8.2 km), Blackstone Edge Roman road See also GREATER MANCHESTER 5 (8.2 km), Slack Roman Fort (Camulodonum?) (11.5 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.
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