Chew Green
Encyclopedia
Chew Green is the site of the ancient Roman
encampment Ad Fines in Northumberland
, England
, 8 miles (13 km) north of Rochester
and 9 miles (14 km) west of Alwinton
. The encampment was adjacent to Dere Street
, a Roman road that stretched south to York
(Eboracum
), and almost on the present-day border with Scotland
.
Archaeological excavation at Chew Green has uncovered a complex of Roman military camps consisting of a Roman fort, two fortlets, two camps and a section of Roman road. The Roman remains were overlaid with evidence of a medieval settlement that included a small chapel. The largest camp structure is a square that encloses about 17 acres (7 ha) with a defensive rampart and ditch. Evidence inside the fort indicates it was used as permanent settlement. Ad Fines likely served only as a military base, not a colonial settlement.
The site is within the Northumberland National Park
and within the Military Training Area at Otterburn
.
Roman Britain
Roman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
encampment Ad Fines in Northumberland
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
, 8 miles (13 km) north of Rochester
Rochester, Northumberland
Rochester is a small village and civil parish in north Northumberland, England. It is five miles north-east of Otterburn on the A68 road between Corbridge and Jedburgh...
and 9 miles (14 km) west of Alwinton
Alwinton
Alwinton is a village and parish in Northumberland, England. It is about to the west of Alnwick....
. The encampment was adjacent to Dere Street
Dere Street
Dere Street or Deere Street, was a Roman road between Eboracum and Veluniate, in what is now Scotland. It still exists in the form of the route of many major roads, including the A1 and A68 just north of Corbridge.Its name corresponds with the post Roman Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Deira, through...
, a Roman road that stretched south to York
York
York is a walled city, situated at the confluence of the Rivers Ouse and Foss in North Yorkshire, England. The city has a rich heritage and has provided the backdrop to major political events throughout much of its two millennia of existence...
(Eboracum
Eboracum
Eboracum was a fort and city in Roman Britain. The settlement evolved into York, located in North Yorkshire, England.-Etymology:The first known recorded mention of Eboracum by name is dated circa 95-104 AD and is an address containing the Latin form of the settlement's name, "Eburaci", on a wooden...
), and almost on the present-day border with Scotland
Scotland
Scotland is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. Occupying the northern third of the island of Great Britain, it shares a border with England to the south and is bounded by the North Sea to the east, the Atlantic Ocean to the north and west, and the North Channel and Irish Sea to the...
.
Archaeological excavation at Chew Green has uncovered a complex of Roman military camps consisting of a Roman fort, two fortlets, two camps and a section of Roman road. The Roman remains were overlaid with evidence of a medieval settlement that included a small chapel. The largest camp structure is a square that encloses about 17 acres (7 ha) with a defensive rampart and ditch. Evidence inside the fort indicates it was used as permanent settlement. Ad Fines likely served only as a military base, not a colonial settlement.
The site is within the Northumberland National Park
Northumberland National Park
Northumberland National Park is the northernmost national park in England. It covers an area of more than 1030 km² between the Scottish Border in the north to just south of Hadrian's Wall. It is one of the least populated and least visited of the National Parks...
and within the Military Training Area at Otterburn
Otterburn, Northumberland
Otterburn is a small village in Northumberland, England, northwest of Newcastle Upon Tyne on the banks of the River Rede, near the confluence of the Otter Burn, from which the village derives its name. It lies within the Cheviot Hills about from the Scottish border...
.
See also
- BremeniumBremeniumBremenium was an ancient Roman fort 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....
- Quintus Lollius UrbicusQuintus Lollius UrbicusQuintus Lollius Urbicus was governor of Roman Britain between the years 139 and 142, during the reign of the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius. He is named in the text known as the Augustan History, and his name appears on five Roman inscriptions from Britain; his career is set out in detail on a pair...
- History of NorthumberlandHistory of NorthumberlandNorthumberland, England's northernmost county, is a land where Roman occupiers once guarded a walled frontier, Anglian invaders fought with Celtic natives, and Norman lords built castles to suppress rebellion and defend a contested border with Scotland. The present-day county is a vestige of an...
- Barrow BurnBarrow BurnBarrow Burn is a village in Northumberland, England.- Governance :Barrow Burn is in the parliamentary constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed....
- Windy GyleWindy GyleWindy Gyle is a hill in the Cheviot Hills, right on the border between England and Scotland. It lies on the border ridge, and like the other hills in the area is rounded and grass-covered. Although maps show the border passing right through the summit, the summit cairn lies a few metres north of...