Summary

Roman camp 580m SSW of Manor Farm.

Source: Historic England

Details

This record was the subject of a minor enhancement on 17 August 2015. This record has been generated from an "old county number" (OCN) scheduling record. These are monuments that were not reviewed under the Monuments Protection Programme and are some of our oldest designation records.

This monument includes a Roman camp situated on a gently east facing slope in the Vale of Taunton Deane overlooking tributaries to the Hillfarrance Brook. The fort survives as a rectangular enclosure with rounded corners measuring approximately 128m long by 112m wide and defined by a scarp of up to 1.7m high with a partially buried outer ditch. Partial excavations by G Webster in 1956 indicated this was a Roman military work probably of 1st century date according to the Romano British pottery. A nearby hillfort is the subject of a separate scheduling.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Roman camps are rectangular or sub-rectangular enclosures which were constructed and used by Roman soldiers either when out on campaign or as practice camps. Most campaign camps were only temporary overnight bases and few were used for longer periods. They were bounded by a single earthen rampart and outer ditch and in plan are always straight-sided with rounded corners. Normally they have between one and four entrances, although as many as eleven have been recorded. Such entrances were usually centrally placed in the sides of the camp and were often protected by additional defensive outworks. Roman camps are found throughout much of England, although most known examples lie in the midlands and north. Around 140 examples have been identified and, as one of the various types of defensive enclosure built by the Roman Army, particularly in hostile upland and frontier areas, they provide an important insight into Roman military strategy and organisation. Despite partial excavation the Roman camp 580m SSW of Manor Farm survives comparatively well and will contain archaeological and environmental evidence relating to its construction, longevity, function, territorial, political and strategic significance and overall landscape context.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Other
PastScape Monument No:-188196

Source: Historic England