OSMap: Hadrian's Wall, LR86.
Type: Wall Fort, probable Minor Settlement, Temple.
The Lanercost Priory
re-used many of the building-stones
from the Castlesteads Roman fort
Wall: W (8) to VXELODVNVM (Carlisle, Cumbria)
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NGRef: NY513635 OSMap: Hadrian's Wall, LR86. Type: Wall Fort, probable Minor Settlement, Temple. |
The Lanercost Priory re-used many of the building-stones from the Castlesteads Roman fort |
| Roads | |
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Wall: E (7½) to CAMBOGLANNA (Birdoswald, Cumbria) via Banks East and Leahill Wall: W (8) to VXELODVNVM (Carlisle, Cumbria) | |
The Roman names of both the fort at Castlesteads and the one further east along the Wall at Birdoswald, has been the subject of intense debate for many years. The problem arises in the scarcity of geographical references of the period, and in those that do exist, there are a number of discrepancies. There are three main sources for the names of these forts, namely, the Ravenna Cosmography, the Notitia Dignitatum and the so-called Rudge Cup.
The Ravenna map places an entry named Banna between Esica (Great Chesters, Northumberland) and Uxelludamo (Stanwix, Cumbria). We know from archaeological evidence that there are two large forts on the Wall between these sites, but unfortunately there is nothing in the Cosmography to indicate which of these two forts is to be identified with the Banna entry.
The waters of investigation are further muddied by the appropriate section of the Notitia Dignitatum, which lists between Magnis (Carvoran, Northumberland), and Petrianis (Stanwix, Cumbria) the entry; Tribunus Cohortis Primae Aeliae Dacorum Amboglanna, Tribune of the First Aelian Cohort of Dacians at Camboglanna. Again, we cannot be sure whether this entry refers to the fort at Birdoswald or Castlesteads.
The question seemed to have been settled with the discovery of a decorated bronze drinking-vessel at Rudge in Wiltshire, and another similar vessel at Amiens in France. These artifacts list the names of places along the line of Hadrian's Wall from west to east, and were; Uxelodunum (Carlisle, Cumbria), Camboglan[ni]s, Banna and Esica (Great Chesters); this indicated that the name of Castlesteads fort was Camboglanna and that of the Birdoswald fort, Banna.
The lack of epigraphic evidence from either of these two sites meant that this view became firmly ingrained into the history books produced over much of the twentieth century. It was not until the latter part of the last century that extensive excavations were conducted at the Birdoswald site, and these unearthed evidence that the garrison was the First Aelian Cohort of Dacians, who, we remember from the Notitia, is the unit associated with the name Camboglanna. This discovery has seemingly overturned the evidence from the Rudge and Amiens artifacts, and has once more opened the discussion over the naming of these two forts. (For further information Vide infra)
The small fort at Castlesteads is thought to have been added to the fortification on the Wall at the same time as the Vallum was built. The fort is unique, as it is the only garrison fort on the Wall which is detached from the Wall itself, and lies a short distance to the south, between the Wall and the Vallum. The fort's northern defences are roughly aligned with the Wall, which here bows out north-westwards away from the direct line taken by the Vallum, which runs from east-north-east to west-south-west.
Two inscribed altars recovered from Castlesteads and dated either to the reign of Hadrian or Antoninus Pius (120-?AD), show that the earliest recorded unit at the site was Cohors IIII Gallorum Equitata, a mixed unit of infantry and horse recruited from among the many Celtic tribes of central France.
The second century garrison of Castlesteads was possibly Cohors I Batavorum Equitata, a one-thousand stong mixed cavalry and infantry unit originally recruited from among the Batavi tribe, who inhabited an island at the mouth of the River Rhine in Belgic Gaul. This unit is also recorded on building stones recovered from nearby Carvoran.
An inscription dated to AD241 records the Castlesteads garrison as Cohors II Tungrorum Milliaria Equitata, a one-thousand strong mixed unit of cavalry and infantry recruited from amongst the Tungri tribe of ?.
Adding further fuel to the Banna/Camboglanna argument outlined above, an altar to Silvanus the God of the Forest (RIB1905) was uncovered at the Birdoswald fort, dedicated by a group calling themselves the Venatores Bannienses, or 'the Hunters of Banna'. It is possible that these men formed an irregular auxiliary cavalry unit, originally garrisonned at Castlesteads, and from which place their name is derived, who were later posted to the neighbouring Birdoswald fort sometime during the fourth century.
The civil settlement or vicus at Castlesteads was situated on the southern slopes of the hill, directly opposite the south-east gateway of the fort across the Vallum causeway.
A temple outside the Castlesteads fort to the south-east, which had 'fallen in through age' was repaired by a centurion, Gaius Julius Cupitianus, and dedicated to 'the Mother goddesses of all nations'.¹
RIB 2003 (tombstone) "To the spirits of the departed (and) of Gemellus, Custos Armorum. His heir, the Centurion Flavius Hilario, had this made."
NY513633 - Geophysical survey conducted to the south and east of the fort in 2000 revealed details of the vicus and a Romano-British field system.
| Castlesteads, Cumbria |
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| The Castlesteads fort lies near the Wall above the Cambeck stream in the grounds of Castlesteads House. Many of the forts building-stones were robbed-out in antiquity to be used in the building of nearby Lanercost Priory, and, since all of the remaining stones were used in the constuction of Castlesteads House by a rich merchant in 1779, nothing now remains to be seen. |
