Site record MDR2514 - Cropmarks north-west of Warren Barn, Walton on Trent
Type and Period (4)
- ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
- LINEAR FEATURE (Unknown date)
- RECTANGULAR ENCLOSURE (Unknown date)
- FORT ? (Roman - 43 AD to 409 AD)
Protected Status/Designation
- None recorded
Full Description
Cropmarks visible on air photographs taken at Walton on Trent by Jim Pickering. These include, at SK 224194, cropmarks of two sides of a double ditched enclosure, and at SK 226193, cropmarks of three sides of a rectangular enclosure with other linear features. (1, 2) Nothing visible on O.S. air photographs taken in 1967. (3)
Several cropmarks identified as part of the New National Forest Survey and mapped using good quality aerial photographs. These include: Probable cropmark enclosure of unknown prehistoric date seen as an asymmetric polygonal enclosure, 115m by ??m, defined by 1 ditch, with 3 sides visible and the rest masked by trees. Centred at SK 2259 1934 (5); Probable cropmark enclosure of unknown prehistoric date seen as a single linear feature defined by 2 ditches, with a maximum length of 150m. Centred at SK 22421941 (6); Probable cropmark field boundary of post medieval date seen as a single linear feature defined by 1 ditch, with a maximum length of 150m. Centred at SK 22311933 (7); Possible cropmark enclosure of unknown prehistoric date seen as an interrupted single linear feature defined by 1 ditch, with a maximum length of 80m. It is possible that this enclosure is the same as that in SMR entry 27502. Centred at SK 2232 1898 (8)
Cropmarks plotted on map overlay at a scale of 1:10,000. (9)
The double ditched enclosure has been interepreted as a possible Roman fort or marching camp. Between 43 and 48 AD, the Roman legionary army moved north and north-west from Colchester and the Thames. By 48 AD the Fosse Way was established as a frontier running from Exeter to Lincoln and beyond this line physical barriers, such as the Trent, formed an ideal forward line. It is therefore suggested that the Drakelow fort will have been constructed in the late 40s AD and occupied for a short period, certainly less than a decade. If the site proves to be a marching camp, then an even shorter period of occupation can be expected. The configuration of the cropmarks forming the possible fort suggest that the fort extends into the woodland forming the south-west boundary of the Power Station site. (10)
September, 2022. A geophysics invetigation into the proposed Roman fort site, or marching camp, led by Transforming the Trent Valley. The non intrusive survey identified a double ditch feature extending west into and through the next field. Some Roman period pottery sherds were found.
Sources/Archives (11)
- <1> SDR15770 Index: TPAT. 1980. 2001. 2001.
- <2> SDR1411 Aerial Photograph: Pickering, J (National Monuments Record, English Heritage). Aerial Photographs (NMR SK 2219/1 3 ).
- <3> SDR1468 Aerial Photograph: 1967. APs (OS 67/015 218-9 1.4.67).
- <4> SDR17508 Aerial Photograph: St Joseph, J. K. AP YL 95.
- <5> SDR17529 Index: RCHME. 1995. New National Forest Survey: 921483. 921483. p42-3.
- <6> SDR17531 Index: RCHME. 1995. New National Forest Survey: 921486. 921486. p48-9.
- <7> SDR17552 Index: RCHME. 1995. New National Forest Survey: 929915. 929915. p119-20.
- <8> SDR17571 Index: RCHME. 1995. New National Forest Survey: 929942. 929942. p167-8.
- <9> SDR1127 Archive: Whiteley, S. 1989. Aerial Photographic Transcripton Project.
- <10> SDR19099 Unpublished document: Chadwick, P. 1995. Archaeological Desk Based Assessment of Land at Drakelow Power Station, Derbyshire. pp 9-10.
- <11> SDR24842 Unpublished document: Knight, M. 2022. Report on the Walton/ Drakelow Roman Fort Investigation.
Map
Location
| Grid reference | Centred SK 224 192 (555m by 602m) Approximate |
|---|---|
| Civil Parish | WALTON UPON TRENT, SOUTH DERBYSHIRE, DERBYSHIRE |
Related Monuments/Buildings (0)
Related Events/Activities (1)
- EDR5275
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External Links (0)
Record last edited
Mar 4 2024 2:50PM