(NY 91177016) CILVRNVM Roman fort. (1)
See attached pamphlet 'Chesters Roman Fort'. (M.O.W.). (2)
Published survey (25 inch) revised. (3)
The south-west part of the Commandant's house was excavated by R P Harper in 1960, where evidence was found of three main building periods. (See plan). Name CILVRNVM accepted for 4th edition Roman Britain map. (4)
Additional bibliography. (5)
7th century AD bronze brooch found in 19th century within Roman settlement. (6)
Scheduling revised on 14th July 1997, part of national monument number 26051. The monument includes the section of Hadrian's Wall and associated features from the bridge abutment (NY 97 SW 4) on the east bank of the river North Tyne in the east to the woodland on the east side of the Chesters property in the west. This section of frontier, which includes Chesters fort (known to the Romans as Cilurnum) occupies a broad stretch of river terrace on the west bank of the North Tyne.
The Wall is visible intermittently as an upstanding feature in this section. Short sections of Wall are upstanding at the junction with the fort on the south sides of the east and west gateways. There is a 6.7m length of unconsolidated Wall to the east of the fort which is in the care of the Secretary of State. West of the fort the Wall line is denoted by an amorphous, discontinuous mound up to 0.4m in height. There are no visible upstanding remains west of the ha-ha which forms an element of the landscape gardens of Chesters House. The wall ditch is discernible to the east of the fort as a ploughed down upcast scarp. For the most part it survives as a silted up feature below the surface. To the west of the fort the ditch survives as a discontinuous depression, 0.3m deep.
Turret 27a (NY 97 SW 1) was built on the site before the fort. The bridge abutments and piers (NY 97 SW 4) survive well as upstanding monuments.
The precise location of the vallum around Chesters has not yet been confirmed. Aerial photographs show the possible start of it from near the west bank of the North Tyne, but around the fort the course is conjectural.
The course of the Roman road known as the Military Way, which ran along the corridor between the Wall and the vallum linking turrets, milecastles and forts, survives well in the section between the North Tyne and the fort. The line of the road is clearly defined on the ground leaving the fort by the east gateway and heading towards the Roman bridge. Initially it is a depression and then becomes a causeway with a maximum height of 0.8m with a kerb to the south visible for 1.3m. There are no upstanding remains of the road to the west of the fort. However, the antiquarian Horsley considered that the Military Way exited Chesters and then converged gradually with the north mound of the vallum where they continued united for a considerable distance.
The Roman fort at Chesters, which is in the care of the Secretary of State, was built to guard the North Tyne crossing of the Wall. Excavation has demonstrated that the fort was constructed after, and overlies, the Wall. It encloses an area of 2.1ha. The fort wall is exposed in a number of places round the circuit. Elsewhere the outline of the fort is shown by a scarp which survives to a maximum height of about 2m. The upstanding masonry is best preserved in the south east corner where it survives to a height of 1.9m. Well preserved visible remains in the interior include the consolidated remains of the headquarters building, commanding officer's house and some barrack blocks. Buried remains will survive below the ridge and furrow cultivation inside the fort.
The site has been excavated at various times from 1796 up to the most recent investigations during 1990-91. Extensive amorphous earthworks within the fort probably show the position of the backfilled trenches and spoilheaps, resulting from the various excavations.
An extensive civil settlement, or vicus (NY 97 SW 72) is located outside the fort on the south side. A well, believed to be Roman (NY 97 SW 74) survives as an upstanding feature. The well preserved remains of a bath house (NY 97 SW 73) are visible to the east of the fort. The possible location of a cemetery (NY 96 NW 89) lies near the river. A road (NY 96 NW 90) runs from the south gateway of the fort.
The wall fort, its associated civil settlement and the remains of the bridge survive well as both upstanding and buried remains. Chesters is one of the best surviving examples of a Roman fort. It has produced significant archaeological finds including a very large number of inscriptions. The fort and its associated remains contain rich archaeological deposits which will contribute significant information on the development of the frontier system over time. In addition, the silted ditches will contain environmental evidence which will allow the character of the surrounding area in the roman period to be better understood. (7)