Uxelodunum (also recorded as Petriana) at Stanwix was the largest fort on Hadrian's Wall, covering around 9.3 acres (3.8 ha), built in stone in the 120s AD and occupied into the late 4th century. It garrisoned the Ala Petriana, a 1,000-strong milliary cavalry regiment — the only such unit known on the Wall — positioned to guard the crossing of the River Eden north of Luguvalium (Carlisle).
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
As the base of the Wall's senior cavalry unit, Stanwix is generally interpreted as the command headquarters for the entire Wall garrison, with its commanding officer likely the senior auxiliary officer on the frontier. Its size and elite mounted unit reflect the strategic importance of the Eden crossing and the western approach to Carlisle.
The fort lies almost entirely beneath the modern village of Stanwix and St Michael's churchyard, so investigation has been limited to small-scale excavations (notably by Richmond in 1932–41 and later rescue work), which have confirmed the line of the defences, fragments of internal buildings, and the relationship to the Wall. Few substantial finds or structures are visible today, and much of the interior remains unexamined.
Uxelodunum (also recorded as Petriana) at Stanwix was the largest fort on Hadrian's Wall, covering around 9.3 acres (3.8 ha), built in stone in the 120s AD and occupied into the late 4th century. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a fort site from the Roman period in Britain.
Uxelodu(nu)m 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 Turret 65B (0.1 km), Milecastle 66 (Stanwix Bank) (0.6 km), Carlisle Castle; medieval tower keep castle, two lengths of city wall, a 16th century battery, and part of an earlier Roman fort known as Luguvalium (1 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.
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