(NT 78800843) Ad Fines Camps. (1)
The Roman camps at Chew Green were surveyed and their main characteristics proved by excavation in 1936 by I A Richmond and G S Keeney.
The Roman name of the place is not known, the name Ad Fines being a forgery. The name Chew Green comes from a farm nearby which was established by the 18th century but which has now disappeared. The farm gives its name to the camps in all the early descriptions.
Four Roman works are visible and a fifth is buried from view. They are situated on a narrow plateau 1450ft above sea level. The five works comprise two temporary camps, one semi-permanent camp and two permanent fortlets.
Centred NT 78850845) THE SOUTH MARCHING CAMP (I on plan) appears to be the earliest work on the site. The north side measures 895ft and the west side 917ft. The other two sides are partly destroyed or hidden by later work. The camp, which would hold a legion, is bounded by a ditch 8'3" wide and 3'9" deep a little channel 7ins deep at the base. The rampart within the ditch is 10ft wide and constructed from the upcast of the ditch with other material in addition. The north gate (port principalis sinistra) and the west gate (porta decumana) are clearly visible. On both of these gates the heel of the internal 'clavicula' was found. The gates on the south and east sides have been obliterated.
(Centred NT 7868 0868). THE NORTH MARCHING CAMP (III on plan) which measures 982ft x 625ft has its whole circuit traceable, although the central portion of the west side has sunk deep in a bog. This camp cuts through and post-dates the South Marching Camp (I). Avoiding as it does the central plateau, the site is not a good one. The ditch of the North Camp is V-shaped, 7ft 6ins wide and 3ft deep. The upcast forms a rampart 8ft 6ins thick and 2ft high. The radius of angles varies from 12ft to 37ft. There have been six gates of which five can still be seen. All gates have had traverses except that on the south side. This probably explained by the fact that this side would be protected by the proximity of the semi-permanent camp (IV).
(Centred NT 78800840). THE SEMI-PERMANENT CAMP (IV on plan) occupies the crown of the spur and measures 567ft x 496ft. The setting-out is not rectangular, nor are the sides set out in one straight line. The radius of the angles varies from 30ft to 50ft. The ditch of this camp is 10ft wide and 4ft 4in deep. The upcast has been used to form a rampart 12ft wide, 3ft 3in high and also as a low mound on the 'glacis'. There are four gateways each with internal 'clavicula' and a causeway undisturbed soil interrupting the ditch. The west and north gates also have external traverses. Within the enclosed area are traces of streets connecting the gates. Behind the west rampart, and parallel to it, a road 18ft wide was also discovered. Also within the area are numerous rectangular and round pits. The rectangular pits were probably for officer's shelters and as such indicate a stay of some duration but not permanent residence.
On the north west side the defences have been strengthened by two rounded platforms at the back of the rampart, probably 'ballistaria'.
(Centred NT 7894 0852). THE PERMANENT FORTLET (V on plan) occupies the crown of the spur just west of Dere Street and is about 215ft square. There are three ditches except on the south side where they merge to become one. The outer ditch is 14'6" wide and 3'8" deep, the middle ditch 10'6" wide and 3'10" deep, and the inner ditch 9'9" wide and 3'4" deep. There is a sharp mound outside the outer ditch except to the west where it adjoins the semi-permanent camp. Behind the inner ditch and separated from it by an 8ft berm is a rampart 18ft wide. There is a single entrance on the east side giving access from Dere Street. Excavations in the interior revealed a single occupation layer with burnt wood, wattle and daub rubble, suggesting that the buildings had been half-timbered structures on rubble sills. The pottery found indicated a single Antonine occupation lasting well into the 2nd century. To the south of the fortlet are two outer enclosures which probably served as camping grounds or waggon parks for traffic on Dere Street. The inner enclosure attached to the south side of the fortlet has a single rampart of turf 11ft wide and two ditches, the inner 15ft wide and the outer a little larger. On the east front there is a third ditch. The second, outer, enclosure to the south has a turf rampart 9'6" wide and a V-shaped ditch 17'0" wide and 5'7" deep. Both these enclosures are independent of each other and of the fortlet. They each have a single entrance to the east opposite Dere Street.
(Centred NT 7894 0852). THE EARLIER PERMANENT FORTLET (II on plan). The triple ditched permanent fortlet (V) covers the demolished remains of an earlier fortlet, placed at a different angle. It measured approximately 170ft x 130ft and had a single V-shaped ditch 8'8" wide and 5'6" deep. The rampart, now demolished, must have been large as its material has been used not only to fill the ditch but also to form a large part of the core of the rampart of the later fortlet (V). It can be assumed that there was a central entrance on the east side. On the site was found a typical Flavian sherd of hard grey ware with orange inner surface, indicative of the earlier occupation of Dere Street, initiated by Agricola.
The sequence in which these works were built can be established. The Flavian sherd within the earlier fortlet (II) shows it to be one of the earliest structures on the site, while its position connects it with the South Marching Camp (I) which is the earliest of the temporary works. It is natural to assume (although there is no direct evidence) that the temporary camp came first and the Permanent Fortlet (II) second.
The South Marching Camp (I) is followed by the North Marching Camp (III) whose occupants built semi-permanent camp (IV) as a labour camp to house a small force engaged for some time on structural work. The labour camp although built before the later permanent fortlet (V) was
probably still in use when the latter was occupied. The North Marching Camp, Labour Camp, and later Permanent fortlet therefore belong to the same sequence and represent the secondary occupation of the site.
Thus in both the Flavian and Antonine period, the site is occupied by temporary and permanent works complementary to each other. There is no evidence of and 3rd or 4th century occupation. (2)
Visible on aerial photograph. (3)
The 1st century occupation of Chew Green comprised a temporary camp (I) on plan in authority 2) and a permanent road post (II). The secondary occupation in the 2nd century consisted of a temporary camp (III), a semi-permanent labour camp (IV) and a second permanent fortlet (V). There is little doubt that the labour camp was associated with the building of the second permanent fortlet and associated road fortlet and associated road works a few yards away. (4)
SOUTH MARCHING CAMP. Description by authority 2 correct. The site is near level to the north east but on the south and west sides the ground falls away slightly.
NORTH MARCHING CAMP. Description by authority 2 correct. The camp is situated on a saddle, near level to the north east but falling away on the south west side. There has been
some mutilation on the north west and south west sides by the construction of drainage
ditches. Although five of the six gateways can be identified only three traverses are now visible.
SEMI-PERMANENT LABOUR CAMP. Description by authority 2 correct except that there are no surface traces of the 'low mound on the glacis'. Similarly there are no visible indication of the clavicula of the north east gate. Nine of the pits referred to by the authority 4 were identified. Three have had a rectangular oval form the others being circular. The former vary in
size from 3m x 2m to 6m x 4m with a maximum depth of 0.7m. The circular pits vary from 2m to 5m in diameter with a maximum depth of 0.8m. This camp is situated on the west side of the summit of the spur, the interior sloping away gently to the south west.
PERMANENT FORTLET. This feature is rectangular and not square as stated by authority 2.
The inner rampart on the south east side is entirely destroyed but from the other sides and the remains of the outer defences to the south east it can be deduced that the fortlet's dimensions were approx 68m x 55m (taken from the centre of the inner rampart). Elsewhere the description by authy 2 is correct except that the only surface trace of the 'sharp mound outside the outer ditch' is a very slight counterscarp bank at the west corner. The inner of the two wagon parks adjoining the south east side of the fortlet has been mutilated by a medieval garth. There are no
surface indications of the turf rampart describe by authority 2. The fortlet is situated on the highest point of the spur and commands a good view in all directions.
THE EARLIER PERMANENT FORTLET. There are no surface indications of this work. (5)
(Subsequently published) Roman Camps and Roman Fortlet. (6)
The work is in generally good condition, and the description by the previous authority F1 confirmed. Revised at 6 inch scale. (7)
As described in the report of 9/5/57. Published survey (1:10,000) correct. (8)
It has been suggested that the substantial defences and internal features of (IV) are probably more consistent with a permanent fort than a semi-permanent labour camp. If the original fortlet (II) is of Agricolan date, Chew Green (IV) might represent a late Flavian fort, in turn succeeded by an Antonine fortlet (V). (9)
During the revision of military sites on the Roman Britain Map the designation of Chew Green should be changed. There are three camps not two as well as the fortlet. (10)
Surveyed by RCHME (Newcastle). (11)
Roman fort, two Roman fortlets, two Roman camps and a section of Roman road at Chew Green. Part of national monument number 28538, scheduling revised on 24th September 1997. The monument includes the remains of two temporary camps, two Roman fortlets, a Roman fort, a section of Dere Street and a deserted settlement and chapel (NT 70 NE 4) of medieval date, situated on a narrow, near level spur on the left bank of the River Coquet. The remains clearly represent occupation of the site over several hundred years although the sequence of construction of the Roman remains is poorly understood despite part excavation in 1936-7.
The most southerly of the two temporary camps is also the largest feature at Chew Green. The camp is roughly square in shape and encloses an area of 7.7ha, within a rampart which varies in height between 0.1m at the north eastern side to 2m high on the south eastern side, above the surrounding ditch which is 2.5m wide and a maximum of 0.4m deep. In places the line of the defences are obscured by the counterscarp bank of the later fort and in other areas the line of the buried ditch is visible as a vegetation mark. There are gateways through three of the sides, except the north east where the likely position of a gateway here is obscured by the defences of the later fort. The gateways are visible as gaps through the rampart and ditch; the north western gateway displays traces of an internal clavicula, a curved extension of the rampart intended to give added defence.
Part excavation of this temporary camp in 1937 uncovered what was interpreted as the ditch of a Roman fortlet, 0.2ha in area, which was subsequently constructed over the south eastern quarter of the temporary camp, immediately adjacent to Dere Street. There are no surface remains of this fortlet which it is thought was demolished during the Roman period in order to facilitate the construction of a second fortlet, although it does survive beneath ground level as a buried feature.
A second temporary camp lies immediately north of and partly overlies the north wall of the first, thus indicating that it is later in date than the first. The full outline of this camp is visible and it survives partly as an upstanding earthwork and partly as a buried feature. The camp is a parallelogram in shape and encloses an area of 5.5ha. The surrounding rampart is 2.5m wide and stands between 0.1m to 1.4m high above the bottom of the surrounding ditch which is 2.3m wide and a maximum of 0.7m deep. There are at least three visible gateways each of which is protected by a traverse, a detached length of rampart and ditch placed across the external face of the entrance at a distance of 4m to 6m intended to block the direct line of entry. The surviving three traverses vary in height between 0.3m to 0.6m and the ditches are on average 2m wide.
Placed within the earlier temporary camp there are the well preserved remains of a Roman fort. This fort encloses an area of 2.7ha within a rampart 3.6m wide and stands to a maximum height of 3m; it is surrounded by a ditch 3m wide and 1.3m deep. Each of the four sides contains a gateway, all of which, except that through the north eastern side, has an internal clavicula and a causeway across the ditch. The south western gate also has an external traverse. Visible remains within the interior of the fort suggest that it was occupied on a semi-permanent basis; these remains include traces of an internal road system and a series of nine pits, thought to represent the remains of building foundations.
Immediately east of this fort there are the prominent remains of a strongly defended fortlet. The fortlet is roughly square in shape enclosing an area of 0.3ha. It is strongly defended by a substantial principal rampart and a broad berm; surrounding these features there are two additional but weaker ramparts and three ditches. There is a gateway through the north eastern side of the camp. Two enclosures immediately south east of this fortlet are interpreted as annexes, the most north westerly of which is earlier than the fortlet as it runs beneath it.
The complex at Chew Green lies immediately adjacent to the Roman road known as Dere Street, constructed during the first century AD by the first governor of Britain, Julius Agricola, in order to facilitate the conquest northwards. The road is visible as the intermittent prominent remains of the mound of the agger which is on average 5m wide.
Situated between and, in some areas, overlying the Roman camps and forts are the remains of a deserted medieval settlement including a chapel (NT 70 SE 4).
The Roman military complex at Chew Green is very well preserved and retains significant archaeological deposits. It will contribute to any study of the Roman military north. (12)
RCHME account. (13)