Roman BritainRomano-British enclosed settlement and medieval settlement 300m south of Burdhope
Roman Settlement · Civilian

Romano-British enclosed settlement and medieval settlement 300m south of Burdhope

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: nhle-10074
Site type
Settlement
Category
Civilian
Latitude
55.2810
Longitude
-2.2963
Overview

History & context

This site, located in the upland landscape of Upper Coquetdale in Northumberland, comprises a small enclosed Romano-British settlement overlain or adjacent to later medieval occupation. The Roman-period element likely consisted of a stone-walled or banked enclosure containing one or more roundhouses, occupied between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD, functioning as a native farmstead engaged in mixed pastoral agriculture. Such sites typically housed a single extended family group exploiting the surrounding upland pasture and limited arable plots.

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

Significance

Historical significance

The settlement reflects the persistence of indigenous British rural lifeways in the militarised zone behind Hadrian's Wall, in the hinterland of the Roman road of Dere Street and outpost forts such as High Rochester (Bremenium). These small enclosed farmsteads represent the dominant native settlement form in the Cheviot fringes and demonstrate continued occupation of marginal upland landscapes under Roman administration.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

The site is known primarily from earthwork survey rather than excavation, showing a sub-rectangular or curvilinear enclosure with internal house platforms, accompanied by traces of medieval rig-and-furrow or longhouse foundations representing the later phase. No published excavation results are recorded, and dating relies on morphological comparison with excavated Northumbrian sites such as Kennel Hall Knowe and Knowes Farm.

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Romano-British enclosed settlement and medieval settlement 300m south of Burdhope?

This site, located in the upland landscape of Upper Coquetdale in Northumberland, comprises a small enclosed Romano-British settlement overlain or adjacent to later medieval occupation. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a settlement site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Romano-British enclosed settlement and medieval settlement 300m south of Burdhope?

Romano-British enclosed settlement and medieval settlement 300m south of Burdhope is classified as a Roman settlement — a civilian 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 Romano-British enclosed settlement and medieval settlement 300m south of Burdhope?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Romano-British farmstead 570m west of Woolaw (0.3 km), Romano-British enclosed settlement 400m south east of Woolaw (1.1 km), Roman camp and prehistoric round cairn 700m north-east of Bellshiel Bridge (1.3 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 Romano-British enclosed settlement and medieval settlement 300m south of Burdhope?

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