The site beneath York Castle lies on the south bank of the Foss-Ouse confluence, immediately outside the legionary fortress of Eboracum (founded AD 71 by Legio IX Hispana, later held by Legio VI Victrix). This area formed part of the extensive canabae and civilian colonia that developed on the right bank of the Ouse, active from the late 1st century through the 4th century AD, before being overlain by an Anglian cemetery and the Norman castle earthworks of 1068–69.
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
While the legionary fortress occupied the north-east bank, the south-western settlement was raised to the status of colonia by AD 237, making York one of only four coloniae in Britain and the northern capital where Septimius Severus died (AD 211) and Constantine was proclaimed emperor (AD 306). The castle site itself sits on the periphery of this colonia, in an area likely used for riverside activity, burial, and approach roads.
Excavations around Clifford's Tower and the castle bailey (notably work in the 1900s and during 20th-century interventions) have recovered Roman pottery, building debris, and burials, though the medieval castle construction and the waterlogged Foss-side conditions have heavily disturbed stratigraphy. Anglian burials of 7th–9th century date overlying Roman levels confirm continuity of use of this ground as marginal/cemetery space between the Roman and Norman phases.
The site beneath York Castle lies on the south bank of the Foss-Ouse confluence, immediately outside the legionary fortress of Eboracum (founded AD 71 by Legio IX Hispana, later held by Legio VI Victrix). It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a fort site from the Roman period in Britain.
York Castle: motte and bailey castle, tower keep castle (including Clifford's Tower), and site of part of Romano-British fort-vicus and Anglian cemetery 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 Eburacum (0.3 km), Roman colonia at York (0.6 km), Roman Fortress at York (0.7 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.
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Research the area around York Castle: motte and bailey castle, tower keep castle (including Clifford's Tower), and site of part of Romano-British fort-vicus and Anglian cemetery