| Title: |
Otterburn Training Area, Dere Street Evaluation, Pennine Way National Trail, Northumberland. Archaeological Evaluation |
| Number of Pages: |
26 |
| Biblio Note |
Please note that this is a bibliographic record only, as originally entered into the BIAB database.
The ADS have no files for download, and unfortunately cannot advise further on where to access hard copy or digital versions.
|
| Publication Type: |
Report
|
| Abstract: |
An archaeological evaluation was carried out along the course of the Roman road of Dere Street to the north east of the Roman fort and camps at Chew Green. The evaluation, involving the excavation of three test-trenches, was requested by the MoD due to significant modern erosion by wheeled vehicles along the course of the Penine Way National Trail, which in this area was contiguous with the Roman Dere Street. A metalled causeway was located in each of the three trenches. This causeway and associated earthworks were assumed to represent the original line of Dere Street which, to the east of Chew Sike, where the road climbed towards the signal station past Brownhart Law, had been terraced into the hillside, not set on an agger as previously had been assumed. Over this zone, the road itself consisted of a relatively insubstantial surface of crushed stone flanked where needed by shallow ditches. The number of hollow ways and possible alternative courses for Dere Street and its successor routes dropping down to Chew Green from the north east showed that erosion in the area had been a significant problem, quite probably since Roman times and certainly into later periods, when Chew Green was the site of a medieval village and a stopping point on a major cattle drove way between Scotland and England, the driving continuing well into the early 19th century. The archaeological evaluation showed that over considerable stretches of the Roman route in this area modern erosion (beyond the crossing point of the Chew Sike which was badly disturbed) was not currently especially active, however, where this did occur, it was associated with a series of linear disturbances, oblique to the course of the road, probably drainage channels. Within a number of these, stones similar to the metalling identified on the Roman road could be seen. Wheeled vehicles had exacerbated these disturbances, especially as the corridor of the Roman road was, in places, very poorly drained and contained formations of peat and sphagnum moss. Recommendations provided included the possibility of channelling both pedestrian and foot traffic away from the Roman corridor or providing the means to effectively remove wheeled traffic from the trail. [Au(abr)] |
| Author: |
Archaeological Practice Ltd
|
| Publisher: |
Archaeological Practice Ltd
|
| Year of Publication: |
2001
|
| Locations: |
| Location - Auto Detected: |
Chew Sike |
| Location - Auto Detected: |
Penine Way |
| Location - Auto Detected: |
Dere Street |
|
| Subjects / Periods: |
| Roman (Auto Detected Temporal) |
| Medieval (Auto Detected Temporal) |
| Early 19th Century (Auto Detected Temporal) |
|
| Note: |
Date Of Issue From:
2001
Date Of Coverage From:
01
Date Of Coverage To:
01
Editorial Expansion:
Site name: OTTERBURN TRAINING AREA, DERE STREET, PENINE NATIONAL TRAIL
Study area:
Investigation type: Evaluation
District: Alnwick
Monument: BANK. Roman (AD43-410), DITCH. Roman (AD43-410), FEATURE. Undated, ROAD. Roman (AD43-410)
Ngr: NT79000900
Parish: Alwinton
Postcode: NE657BY
|
| Source: |
BIAB
(Archaeological Investigations Project (AIP))
|
| Created Date: |
19 Jan 2009 |
