# Favourite Roman sites?



## Brian G Turner (Apr 21, 2004)

There's not a lot of substantive Roman ruins around Yorkshire - there's the stonework on the wall at York, some bare remains on the coast from watchtowers (such as at Scarborough Castle) and there have been some good mosaic finds at Aldborough and Rudston (not surpising, as Brough had one of the few mosaic workshops in the country).

 My favourite that I've been to _in Yorkshire_ would definitely be Cawthorn Roman camps, though. Darn hard to find, but there are basically the extensive earthworks of no less than 3 Roman camps, all built upon a cliff that has a wide view across the landscape below. Apparently was also the scene of a chariot burial - they are apparently pretty common in Yorkshire - so it's probably a long-settled reason. You can see the strategic value looking at the view.

 Hm...I've got some pics somewhere. Not tonight as too knackered.


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## Esioul (Apr 21, 2004)

Again, Stonea Camp and Stonea Grange (which is just such a weird site- why the hell is there a high status Roman official building in the middle of nowhere, where there wasn't even that much settlement anyway?) Well, there was some settelment. I reckon it's there to watch over the Camp... well, I have a few weird theories. It might have been there to control settlement but it didn't really succeed. Stonea is the site that Valerian is in, by the way. 

I like Bath, but I really like Hadrian's wall.


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## The Ace (Nov 2, 2006)

Got to be Ardoch Fort.  At the modern village of Braco in Perthshire.  Even after 1900years of neglect, the ramparts are still awe-inspiring.


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## Brian G Turner (Nov 2, 2006)

Yes, the Braco earthworks are pretty impressive. 

It's easy to be spooked there into thinking the multiple ditches were due to the Romans trying to keep someone, or something, out. But apparently the size of the fort was reduced 3 times, hence the incredible lines of ditches.

I should also put in a good word for the Antonine Wall remanents in Falkirk - a bugger to drive to, and obviously no big stone remains like at parts of Hadrian's Wall - but aside from being a nice walk in itself, looking out across to the Ochils and Breadlebane Mountains really gives a feeling of being stood at the edege of the civilised world.


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## Ron Laverick (Jun 27, 2008)

Esioul said:


> Again, Stonea Camp and Stonea Grange (which is just such a weird site- why the hell is there a high status Roman official building in the middle of nowhere, where there wasn't even that much settlement anyway?) Well, there was some settelment. I reckon it's there to watch over the Camp... well, I have a few weird theories. It might have been there to control settlement but it didn't really succeed. Stonea is the site that Valerian is in, by the way.
> 
> I like Bath, but I really like Hadrian's wall.


 
This site also has 2 Anglo Saxon buildings near the Roman Grange.  Clearly a site of revered importance.  Believed locally to be the Iceni site where the Romans Slaughtered the remains of Boudicas Family, Tribe and Army.  Many hewed sleletons were found in the Earth Work Ditches of the Bronze Age Camp nearbye.

This would explain the Roman Building as a stamp of authority for the natives.  The Saxons echoed this knowledge with their small settlement too.

This is why Swampy Stonea is so wonderful historically!

Ron Laverick


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