2013

NT7808 : Roman Fortlet, Chew Green

taken 13 years ago, 3 km from Nether Hindhope, Scottish Borders, Scotland

This is 1 of 2 images, with title Roman Fortlet, Chew Green in this square
Roman Fortlet, Chew Green
Roman Fortlet, Chew Green
"The situation of Chew Green and Gamelspath amid those breezy uplands at Coquethead, lying in the very heart of the Cheviots, far removed from the route of the ordinary traveller, is extremely remote. Isolated from the outer world by many miles of 'mountain, moss, and moor,' its all-pervading stillness, broken only by the bleating of the hill-sheep and the plaintive cry of the curlew and the plover, conveys to the mind a feeling of impressive solitude. Yet there was a time when this lone spot resounded to the clang of weapons and the tramp of armed men; when the trained legions of the Romans marched along the newly-made Watling Street [correctly, Dere Street] and garrisoned the camp below; when the moors around was the scene of many a sanguinary struggle, where now the bent and purple heath hides the stain of ancient battle."
David Dippie Dixon in Upper Coquetdale (1903).
Chew Green Roman Camps

Chew Green (named from a former farm) was at one time thought to be the 'Ad Fines' of the Romans, being one of the stations beyond Hadrian's Wall, although the true Roman name is unknown.

The encampment was adjacent to Dere Street, situated on a narrow plateau 1450ft above sea level, now close to the border with Scotland. A five-phase complex of Roman military camps has been recognised, consisting of two temporary marching camps, a semi-permanent Roman fort, and two permanently-occupied fortlets. Dating of occupation phases is little understood despite partial excavation in 1936 by Richmond and Keeney.

Pastscape: LinkExternal link Archive LinkExternal link

Dere Street was built cAD79 on the orders of Agricola (shown wrongly as Watling Street on old maps) and ran between Eboracum (York) and Perthshire. It continued in use in medieval times and the Roman site at Chew Green is overlaid by a deserted village often shown as 'Kemylpethe' or 'Kemylpethe Walls', a name also associated with a section of the road, 'Gamelspath'. The village had an Inn for travellers on the road, and also a chapel, possibly established by monks from Kelso Abbey after 1227. The Makendon Cross was found nearby in 1889.

Historic England: LinkExternal link Archive LinkExternal link


Creative Commons Licence [Some Rights Reserved]   © Copyright Andrew Curtis and licensed for reuse under this Creative Commons Licence.
Geographical Context: Historic sites and artefacts Uplands Moorland
This photo is linked from: Automatic Clusters: · Chew Green Roman Camps [13] · Roman Fortlet [7] · David Dippie Dixon in Upper Coquetdale 1903 [2] · Situated [2] Title Clusters: · Roman Fortlet, Chew Green [2] ·
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NT7808, 31 images   (more nearby 🔍)
Photographer
Andrew Curtis   (more nearby)
Date Taken
Friday, 19 April, 2013   (more nearby)
Submitted
Saturday, 27 April, 2013
Subject Location
OSGB36: geotagged! NT 7891 0854 [10m precision]
WGS84: 55:22.2236N 2:20.0584W
Camera Location
OSGB36: geotagged! NT 78910 08516
View Direction
North-northeast (about 22 degrees)
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Image classification(about): Geograph
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