Burscough Roman Fort was a 1st century AD
near what is now
Burscough
Burscough () is a town and civil parish in West Lancashire in the ceremonial county of Lancashire, England. It is located to the north of Ormskirk and northwest of Skelmersdale.
The parish also includes the hamlet of Tarlscough and the Martin ...
, West Lancashire, England.
Archaeological excavations are ongoing, and the site has been described as "the most significant Roman discovery made in Lancashire for over 100 years".
Description
The site of the fort has an area of 30,000m² and was built in at least two phases. An initial sandstone
auxiliary fort oriented north to south and measuring 160 metres in length with a shallow
rampart
Rampart may refer to:
* Rampart (fortification), a defensive wall or bank around a castle, fort or settlement
Rampart may also refer to:
* "O'er the Ramparts We Watched" is a key line from "The Star-Spangled Banner", the national anthem of the ...
was constructed in the first century AD during the
Roman conquest of Britain.
A second site constructed over the eastern rampart suggests the presence of a later, smaller fortlet.
Several internal structures have been identified through geophysical survey including an eastern gateway with two gate towers, and multiple sandstone buildings which have been identified as granaries or barracks. Beam slots and hearths have also been identified, suggesting some industrial usage.
History
While the exact age and name of the fort are not yet known, it is believed to have been built during the
Roman conquest of Britain in the first century AD,
likely during the reign of
Claudius.
An initial
auxiliary fort was built with a later fortlet built on its eastern side.
The site was inhabited at various intervals until at least the mid-4th century AD,
owing to the multiple ditches identified at the site.
It has been suggested that there was a possible hiatus in the habitation of the site 3nd century AD.
Archaeology
It is possible that the site was referenced in the diaries of
Nicholas Blundell
Nicholas Blundell (1669 – 1737), sometimes styled "of Crosby", lord of the manor of Little Crosby, was an English landowner seated at Crosby Hall, Lancashire, and is best known for his diaries which provide first-hand insight into the life of ...
on 28 September 1721, when he noted "a place in
rancis Farrer'sground where 'tis supposed there formerly stood a small Castle".
The site was identified in the
Tithe map The term tithe map is usually applied to a map of an English or Welsh parish or township, prepared following the Tithe Commutation Act 1836. This act allowed tithes to be paid in cash rather than goods. The map and its accompanying schedule gave ...
of 1846 as 'Castle Field', likely with reference to its history as a former Roman fort.
Subsoiling activities in 2003 during construction work
and field walking in 2005 suggested the presence of a large sandstone structure.
In 2013, the
stratigraphy of the site was investigated, revealing a complex history of multiple phases of inhabitation and further archaeological evaluation of the site in 2014 and 2015 revealed the presence of a fort, including a buttressed structure resembling granaries found at other Roman forts in Britain.
In 2018, the presence of a fort of at least two phases was confirmed by an
electrical resistance survey
Electrical resistance surveys (also called earth resistance or resistivity survey) are one of a number of methods used in archaeological geophysics, as well as in engineering geological investigations. In this type of survey electrical resistance ...
, and in 2020 an assessment by
Historic England
Historic England (officially the Historic Buildings and Monuments Commission for England) is an executive non-departmental public body of the British Government sponsored by the Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport. It is tasked w ...
using
Google Maps
Google Maps is a web mapping platform and consumer application offered by Google. It offers satellite imagery, aerial photography, street maps, 360° interactive panoramic views of streets ( Street View), real-time traffic conditions, and rou ...
and
Lidar imagery showed that the fort was visible as crop marks, soil marks and earthworks.
The site was given
scheduled monument
In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change.
The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage and d ...
status by the
Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport status in 2020.
See also
*
Castra
References
{{reflist
Roman auxiliary forts in England
Roman sites in Lancashire
Burscough