Bremenium

Bremenium was an ancient Roman fort (castra) located at Rochester, Northumberland, England. The fort was one of the defensive structures built along Dere Street, a Roman road running from York to Corbridge and onwards to Melrose.

The forts name, 'Bremenium', is mentioned in the Ravenna Cosmography, the Antonine Itinerary and Ptolemy’s Geographia.

Location

The fort is situated in the village of Rochester, five miles (8 km) north-east of Otterburn on the A68 road between Corbridge and Jedburgh.

Description

The fort is eight and a half miles north of Risingham (Roman name Habitancum), the previous fort on Dere Street. The name 'Bremenium' means 'The Place of the Roaring Stream'. The site is in a strong position, occupying the end of a ridge with the ground falling away steeply to the north and west, and giving a clear view over the Rede Valley and beyond.

The fort is oblong in shape, and measures convert|485|ft|m north to south and convert|445|ft|m east to west, giving and area of just over five acres. There was a gate in each of the four walls, which were of stone backed by a bank of earth. It appears that an early first-century fort with a turf rampart occupied the site, and that it was replaced by a stone fort during the time that Quintus Lollius Urbicus was Governor of Britain. He stayed there on his way north to build the Antonine Wall in 142 A.D. The fort remained occupied even after the abandonment of the Antonine Wall in the early 160s.

The fort is unusual, in that it had third-century artillery defences. The walls were thicker than most Roman forts and had stone platforms projecting convert|32|ft|m back from the wall, on which were placed catapult-like machines for hurling missiles. These machines, a smaller version of the ballista, were known as 'onagri', and derived their power from the torsion of a hair rope. From the north walls, these machines could fire missiles at anyone advancing down Dere Street from the north.

Garrison

In the second century the garrison was the First Cohort of Lingones (part-mounted and 500 strong), and then the First Cohort of Dalmations (infantry). In the third century the garrison was the First Cohort of Vardulians (part-mounted and one thousand strong).

Current site

The fort is now part of the village green of Rochester, but there are still remains to see. The west wall is the best preserved and consists of a nine-feet-high bank with stone facing. The west gate is complete to the springing of the arch. However much of the stonework has been plundered over the years for local buildings.

Excavations

Excavations were carried out in 1852 and 1855, but were poorly recorded. A small dig was also carried out in 1935. The excavations established that the interior of the fort was crowded with buildings, many with hypocausts.

References

* J. Collingwood Bruce, Roman Wall (1863), Harold Hill & Son, ISBN 0 90046 332 5

* Frank Graham, The Roman Wall, Comprehensive History and Guide (1979), Frank Graham, ISBN 0 85983 140 X
* http://www.roman-britain.org/places/bremenium.htm

ee also

* Chew Green

External links

* [http://www.roman-britain.org/places/bremenium.htm Roman Fort and Marching Camps]
* [http://museums.ncl.ac.uk/archive/old_fotm/old_fotma96/ Bremenium Dedication Slab]
* [http://www.wildyorkshire.co.uk/naturediary/docs/2001/8/16.html Northern Outpost]