BIRDOSWALD ROMAN FORT

ALTERNATIVE NAME:

BANNA

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Birdoswald Roman Fort, known to the Romans as 'Banna', measures 580 by 400 feet and is situated on a ridge with a steep scarp to the south. It has four main gates and two posterns. Its prime function was to guard the Irthing Bridge. Excavation work on the site has dated from the early 19th century. Towards the rear (north) of the site the barracks have been found and a hoard of 30 denarii current under Hadrian recovered. A bronze wrist-purse containing 28 similar coins was found in 1949 north of the east gate. A building of three rooms near the east postern, one with a hyocaust, (probably the baths of the commandant's house) yielded a seated statue of Fortune, now in Tullie House Museum. West of this, in the centre of the fort, the head-quarters building stood on or near the former site of Turret 49a, and to the west of this lay one or more granaries.

Excavations have uncovered the following sequence of events on the site. Prior to the construction of the fort the Turf Wall and Turret 49a occupied the area. These were demolished and a fort, probably of turf and timber, was erected and the Vallum diverted around it. Later the Vallum was probably levelled to make room for the larger stone fort. The garrison was the milliary, peditate cohors I Aelia Dacorum and occupied the site from the late 2nd to the 4th century AD. During the first half of the 3rd century AD there is evidence for rebuilding before the site was abandoned for a period from the end of the third century and reoccupied in the early 4th. During the late 4th/early 5th century, the south granary was converted for residential use. During the 5th century AD a sequence of timber buildings were built on the site of the north granary. The site was possibly abandoned altogether by about AD 520. In the 13th century, a tower house was built by the porta princpalis sinistra. In the 16th century, a bastle house replaced the tower house, which in its turn was replaced by a farmhouse in the 17th century.

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(NY 615 663) Camboglanna Roman Fort (GS) (1)

Camboglanna fort (incorrectly named Amboglanna in the Notitia) measures 580 by 400ft. It has four main gates and two posterns. Its prime function was to guard the Irthing Bridge (NY 66 NW 12). Towards the rear (north) the normal barracks have been found and a hoard of 30 denarii current under Hadrian. A bronze wrist-purse containing 28 similar coins was found in 1949 north of the east gate. A building of three rooms near the east postern, one with a hyocaust, (probably the baths of the commandant's house) yielded a seated statue of Fortune, now in Tullie House Museum. West of this, in the centre of the fort, the head-quarters building stood on or near the former site of Turret 49a (NY 66 NW 13), and to the west of this lay one or more granaries. The Stone Wall is brought up to the fort's north angles. The Turf Wall abutted its principal gates, but it and its ditch ante-dated the fort. The Vallum is diverted round the south side of the fort and has a revetted causeway opposite its south gate. It cuts through a Promontory Fort (NY 66 NW 18). (See plan). (2-3)

Numerous Altars found at, or near, Birdoswald. (4)

The fort is in fair condition. Turf covered foundations, probably part of the headquarters building, are the only visible internal remains. There is no trace of the Vallum to the south of the fort or of the revetted causeway. Published survey (25") revised. (5)

BANNA - The Roman fort at Birdoswald, Cumbria. (6)

Birdoswald Fort (Banna NY 663 615). Two granaries, each measuring 26.8 x 10.4m, were excavated in the former garden of the farmhouse in 1987, lying parallel and adjacent to the via principalis. They probably date from c AD 205-8, and overlie earlier buildings in timber and stone. The fort's wall and ditch were also examined. On the north side, where the fort wall lies under the modern road, a primary interval tower was identified. (7-8)

The archaeological history of the fort, identified as BANNA (6), has been summarised by Birley up to 1961 (9a) and Daniels (9b) to 1978; they refer to the excavations done since 1850. In 1949-50, the Ministry of Works consolidated the exposed walls and gateways (9c). The fort measures 182m N-S by 121m internally; the consolidated curtain, with the S and E gateways, survives on the S and E sides, on about a half of the W side, and at the NW angle. The public road overlies the greater part of the N defences, and Birdoswald farmhouse and gardens, the outbuildings and yards occupy the N sector of the interior, the remainder of which is in permanent pasture. Little remains of the outer ditch; of the internal buildings, the S, buttressed wall of a granary is visible forming the ha-ha to the garden, and the sites of former excavated structures are defined mainly as areas of spoil. Birdoswald fort was surveyed in 1987 by RCHME Newcastle at 1:1000 scale, and a full field account produced, both of which are held in the NMR. (9)

Between 1987 and 1992, major excavations took place, mainly in the garden S of the farm house, revealing two granaries, and the W gate and causeway across the ditch; a full excavation report is forthcoming (10a). The granaries and the W gateway have been consolidated, and the whole site is open to the public. (10)

Scheduled. (11)

Excavations. (12)

Surveyed. (13)

Listed with plan and illustration. (14)

The earthwork and structureal remains of Birdoswald fort (described by the previous authorities) were mapped from aerial photographs as part of the English Heritage: Hadrian's Wall NMP project. (15-16)

Excavations of this Roman fort have uncovered the following sequence of events on this site. Prior to the construction of the fort the Turf Wall and Turret 49a occupied the area. These were demolished and a fort, probably of turf and timber, was erected and the Vallum was diverted around it. Later the Vallum was probably levelled to make room for a larger stone fort. There appears to have been a period of desertion between the completion of the defences of this fort and the erection of the interior buildings which are dated to the late 2nd century AD. The fort had a rare basilica-type building. The garrison was the milliary, peditate cohors I Aelia Dacorum and occupied the site from the late 2nd to the 4th century AD. During the first half of the 3rd century AD there is evidence for rebuilding and refurbishment of the fort. The site appears to have been abandoned towards the end of the third century and reoccupied in the early 4th. During the late 4th/early 5th century the south granary was converted for residential use. During the 5th century AD a sequence of timber buildings were built on the site of the north granary. The site was possibly abandoned by c.AD 520. In the 13th century a tower house was built by the porta princpalis sinistra. In the 16th century a bastle house replaced the tower house, which in its turn was replaced by a farmhouse in the 17th century.

Birdoswald Roman Fort, known to the Romans as 'Banna', is situated on a ridge with a steep scarp to the south. Excavation work on the site has dated from the early 19th century. The fort encloses an area of 2.2 hectares. It was originally occupied by the first cohort of Dacians, 1000 strong, and probably early in the third century by the part-mounted first cohort of Thracians. A large Roman basilica was constructed in the north sector of the fort and has been interpreted as a parade or drill hall. A parade ground is also attested by a group of official parade ground dedications including 20 to Jupiter, though it is yet to be precisely located. A vicus (civil settlement outside the fort) was located to the east. An early medieval hall and associated structures were constructed inside the fort over the earlier Roman remains, demonstrating continued use of the site in the post-Roman period. (11)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

OS 6" 1957

( 2) General reference

Bruce and Richmond 1966 Handbook to Roman Wall 12th Edn Page(s)163-9

( 3) Society for Promotion of Roman Studies The journal of Roman studies

36, 1946 Page(s)135

( 4) by the late R G Collingwood and R P Wright 1965 The Roman inscriptions of Britain, 1. Inscriptions on stone

Page(s)576-95

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 BHP 03-NOV-71

( 6) by A L F Rivet and Colin Smith 1979 The place-names of Roman Britain

Page(s)261-2

( 7) Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies Britannia : a journal of Romano-British and kindred studies

(Frere S S) 19, 1988 Page(s)436-7

( 8) Society for the Promotion of Roman Studies Britannia : a journal of Romano-British and kindred studies

20, 1989 Page(s)274-5

( 9) Field Investigators Comments

Keith Blood/09-SEP-1987/RCHME: Birdoswald Survey.

( 9a) by Eric Birley 1961 Research on Hadrian's Wall

Page(s)196-203

( 9b) by J Collingwood Bruce; edited and enlarged by Charles Daniels 1978 Handbook to the Roman Wall with the Cumbrian coast and outpost forts

( 9c) Transactions of the Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society

Gillam JP 'Recent excavations at Birdoswald' 50, 1950 Page(s)63-9

(10) Field Investigators Comments

Keith Blood/20-SEP-1994

(10a) General reference

Willmott A, Director of Excavations 1987-92 (pers comm)

(11) Scheduled Monument Notification

14-JUL-1997

(12) Tony Wilmott 1997 Birdoswald : excavations of a Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall and its successor settlements, 1987-92

English Heritage archaeological reports [new series]1 (1994) - 14

(13) compiled by Louise Barker and Alan Rushworth 1998 Hadrian's Wall at Birdoswald : a survey of the extent and state of preservation of archaeological remains in the guardianship of English Heritage

(14) Denis R Perriam and John Robinson 1998 The medieval fortified buildings of Cumbria : an illustrated gazetteer and research guide

Cumberland and Westmorland Antiquarian and Archaeological Society extra series vol.29 Page(s)134-5

(15) Vertical aerial photograph reference number

RAF 106G/UK/1392 3174 10-APR-1946

(16) Oblique aerial photograph reference number

NMR NY6166/134 (20535/32) 31-MAR-2006

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