OSMap: LR85
Type: Roman Fort
SW (8½) to DERVENTIO (Papcastle, Cockermouth, Cumbria)
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NGRef: NY1941 OSMap: LR85 Type: Roman Fort |
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| Roads | |
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NE (6) to MAGLONA (Old Carlisle, Cumbria) SW (8½) to DERVENTIO (Papcastle, Cockermouth, Cumbria) | |
The Roman fort at Blennerhasset lies on the main road between Old Carlisle and Papcastle at the crossing of the River Ellen. The fort is protected by a triple ditch system and measures roughly 655 ft. from NNE to SSW by 560 ft. transversely (c.200 x 170 m), covering an area of about 8½ acres (c.3.4 ha). There are four gateways, those in the NNE and SSW set centrally in their sides, those in the longer WNW and ESE sides being off-set slightly to the NNE, the fort therefore faces NNE towards the river Ellen. The modern name contains both Celtic and Old Scandinavian elements which suggest that the site was being used during the Viking period. There are no inscriptions on stone recorded in the R.I.B. for this area.
There is a nearby fort at Caermote (NY2036), which, due to its location about 3 miles away from the line of the Roman road to the SSE, almost certainly predates the Blennerhasset site which is thought to date to the early 2nd century AD., around the same time as many of the sites along the Stanegate.
