Held at:	Private Collection
Reference:	RS
Source:	Guest Contribution
Title:	Guest Contribution: New Evidence for a First Century Roman Fort at Longtown Castle
Place name:	Longtown
Date:	2022

Description:

 

New Evidence for a First Century Roman Fort at Longtown Castle, Herefordshire

 

By NEIL KIDD, MARTIN COOK and TIM HOVERD

 

ABSTRACT

Recent excavations at Longtown Castle have shown that its unusual square enclosure was originally part of a first century Roman fort. The base of the rampart was built of blocks of turf, with no evidence of timber or stone components. Artefacts from excavation trenches within the enclosure, including pottery and the remains of two kilns or ovens were dated to the later first century AD. It seems likely that Longtown fort was built during the Silurian campaign of 47-78AD as part of a network of interconnected forts, each a day’s march from the next. Longtown fort now fills a notable gap in the sequence between Abergavenny (Gobannium) and Clyro on the River Wye. Given that it was never rebuilt in stone, it probably fell out of use during the second century AD.

 

 

The full paper can be downloaded as a pdf file here.

Observations:

This research paper is part of the output from the Longtown Castle project set up by Longtown and District Historical Society in 2015 to investigate the origins of Longtown Castle and a nearby motte and bailey. Two seasons of excavation during 2016 and 2017 were planned and executed under the direction of Herefordshire Archaeology (Herefordshire Council’s archaeology service), with the support of the Heritage Lottery Fund and many local volunteers.