BIBRA

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The Roman fort at Beckfoot seen as cropmarks and mapped from air photographs which show very clear internal details. Roads seen leading out of the north and south gates for approximately 240 m in both directions; a shorter length of road, 19 m, is also seen just beyond the expected position of the east gate. To either side of the northern road could be seen probable remains of the vicus which is separately recorded as NY 04 NE 41. The fort is now probably identified as BIBRA. Althought the earthwork remains are now largely unsurveyable, some excavation in 1879-80 indicated occupation of the site from the 2nd into the 4th century.

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(Record consolidated following RCHME Cumberland Coast Project. The original OS record card is held in the NMR Archive.)

(NY 0896 4884) BIBRA ROMAN FORT (R) (site of) (1)

(NY 0896 4884) ROMAN FORT (R) (site of) (2)

In 1879-80 this Roman fort was partially excavated by J. Robinson (the excavation was rapid, and his report, together with a plan, is a fairly brief summary of his findings). He was able to trace the entire circuit of the walls, which enclosed a somewhat irregular quadrilateral, measuring 405 ft E-W by 283 ft on the W tapering to 267 ft on the E, being 2.75 acres in extent. The walls were found to be 6 ft thick with angle towers at each rounded corner. Robinson discovered three entrances with guard chambers on the N, S and E sides; no gate was found on the W, seaward side. The foundations of a building were seen within the fort, but were insufficiently explored for the plan to be intelligible. Finds include an uninscribed altar, 17" by 7", a figure of Diana as Luna Lucifera, a mutilated figure of Victory, three querns, two coins (Trajan and Constantius), two copper beads, several fragments of copper, iron etc., and a deal of pottery including Samain, Castor, Upchurch and Salopian ware. (3)

An inscribed stone to the Pannonians, found before 1880 and lost, was re-discovered by Robinson, re-used as a gate-post, and was deposited in the Netherhall Collection. (4)

Collingwood in 1936 summarized the results of Robinson's excavations and reproduces his plan. He noted that H Duff (unsourced) had revealed a block of masonry identified as the spina of the west gate which may have been blocked at a later date, hence Robinson's failure to see it; he suggested that the solid piece of masonry, 11ft by 7ft, close inside the W wall, may be the remains of a ballistarium, as opposed to the base of a lighthouse indicated by Robinson. Collingwood speculates that the unidentified building foundations within the fort may have been a granary or, more probably, the facade of the commandant's house. The fort is assessed as a standard construction of 2nd century date designed for an auxillary cohort 500 strong; the finds indicate occupation into the 4th century. (5)

Details of the defences of the fort and the internal layout are particularly well-defined on air-photographs. The defences consist of four ditches with the wall and a rampart behind, angle towers, interval towers and four gates. Within the fort the headquarters building, the commandmants house, two store buildings, a possible hospital, six centurial barracks and possible workshops and other buildings can be identified. (6-8)

Nothing seen of the fort and vicus; site under a wheat crop at the time of fieldwork. Much tile on the surface. (9)

Much of the basic rectangular outline of the fort can be traced as an unsurveyable lift in the plough, most notably in the W, but no building remains are evident. Published survey (25-inch) correct (shown as pecked rectangle). (10)

This fort has been identified, probably, as BIBRA. (11)

Little can be seen above ground of this fort. All that remains is an unsurveyable, ploughed-down platform roughly conforming to the shape and size of the fort as shown on Robinson's plan. It is situated in permanent pasture on a gentle dip-slope facing E, the highest part being along the W rampart on the low ridge summit overlooking the sea. (12)

The site of the Roman fort, seen as cropmarks and mapped from air photographs which show very clear internal details. Two probable granaries are seen lying just inside the south gate and to either side of the internal road. One of the internal roads, at NY 0897 4882, has an uncharacteristically curved corner; perhaps this might indicate the presence of an earlier enclosure at this position, pre-dating the fort? Outside the fort, roads are seen leading out of both the north and south gates for approximately 240 m in both directions and a section of road, 19 m in length, is also visible just beyond the supposed position of the eastern gate. To either side of the road leading northwards from the fort are cropmarks indicating a probable vicus, separately recorded as NY 04 NE 41. (13)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

6" 1957 (Provisional)

( 2) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

25" 2nd edition

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

(Robinson, J.) 5, 1881 Page(s)136-48

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

(Bailey, JB and Haverfield, F) 15, 1915 Page(s)143

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

(Collingwood, RG) 36, 1936 Page(s)76-84

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

(St Joseph, J K) 41, 1951 Page(s)56

( 7) Aerial photograph

(CUCAP DU027: 11-JUL-1949)

( 8) by S S Frere and J K S St Joseph 1983 Roman Britain from the air

Cambridge air surveys Page(s)71-3

( 9) Field Investigators Comments

F1 GWR 01-JUN-1951

(10) Field Investigators Comments

F2 FRH 02-MAR-1967

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

Page(s)268

(12) Field Investigators Comments

Keith Blood/15-FEB-1993/RCHME: Cumberland Coast Project.

(13) Oblique aerial photograph reference number

NMR NY 0848/1 ( 7980/7) 07-JUL-1949

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