Templeborough
Encyclopedia
Templeborough is a suburb of Rotherham
, South Yorkshire
, England
. The area takes its name from the remains of the Roman
fort found there which were mistakenly believed to be that of a Roman Temple
.
called Icknield Street
(sometimes Ryknild or Riknild Street) crossed the River Don at a ford close to the fort. There was also a road named Batham Gate
that ran southwest from the fort to Brough-on-Noe in Derbyshire
. The double bank that surrounded the fort was still visible in 1831 although it is believed that stone blocks from the site were regularly carried off and re-used in nearby buildings.
Archaeological
excavations of part of the fort and bath house were carried out in 1877 by the Rotherham Literary and Scientific Society headed by local historians, J D Leader and John Guest. They found evidence that the fort had been burned to the ground and rebuilt twice. Coins discovered during this excavation ranged in date from the time of the emperors Augustus
to Constantine I
.
In 1916 the site of the fort was acquired by Steel, Peach and Tozer's steelworks in order to expand their works to meet the demand for steel during World War I
. The plans for the steelworks required the site to be leveled, and 10–15 feet of soil were removed from the area of the fort, destroying all archaeological remains. However, before the works were constructed, a Roman archaeologist, Sir Thomas May, was invited by Rotherham Borough Council to re-excavate the fort over the course of eight months from November 1916 to July 1917.
A tile stamped with the stamp of Cohors IV Gallorum found on the site dates to either the time of Domitian
(81–96) or Trajan
(98–117). The Fourth Cohort
of Gaul
s are known to have occupied the fort, as evidenced by the clay tiles and carved Roman tombstones discovered on the site. The remains include one of the earliest known memorials to a named British female.
Tombstone of a soldier
inscribed DIS M CINTVSMVS M COH IIII GALLORVM POS MELISVS
"To the spirits of the departed and Cintusmus, a soldier of the Fourth Cohort of Gauls, [this memorial was] placed by Melisus."
(RIB 619; tombstone)
Tombstone of a veteran inscribed DIS MANIBVS CROTO VINDICIS EMERITO COH IIII GALLORVM ANNORVM XXXX MONIMENTVM FECIT FLAVIA PEREGRINA CONIVNX PIENTISSIMA MARITO PIENTISSIMO TITVLVM POSVIT
"To the spirits of the departed and Crotus Vindex, veteran of the Fourth Cohort of Gauls, forty years old, this monument was made and its inscription set down by Flavia Peregrina a most faithful wife for a most faithful husband."
(RIB 620; tombstone)
Tombstone of a Dobunni
woman inscribed DIS M VERECVD RVFI LIA CIVES DOBVNNA ANNOR XXXV EXCINGVS CONIVX CONIVGI KARISSIMAE POSIT DE SVO
"To the spirits of the departed and to Verecunda Rufilia, a citizen of the Dobunni,¹ thirty-five years old, her husband Excingus placed this for his dearest wife."
(RIB 621; tombstone)
Finds from both excavations are now housed in Clifton Park Museum
in Rotherham. The original stone columns from the Roman granary
at Templeborough Fort were re-erected in Clifton Park in 1922.
, the only remaining Steel, Peech and Tozer plant is Brinsworth Strip Mills, located on Sheffield Road it now forms part of Corus, a subsidiary of TATA Steel Europe.
Rotherham
Rotherham is a town in South Yorkshire, England. It lies on the River Don, at its confluence with the River Rother, between Sheffield and Doncaster. Rotherham, at from Sheffield City Centre, is surrounded by several smaller settlements, which together form the wider Metropolitan Borough of...
, South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire
South Yorkshire is a metropolitan county in the Yorkshire and the Humber region of England. It has a population of 1.29 million. It consists of four metropolitan boroughs: Barnsley, Doncaster, Rotherham, and City of Sheffield...
, 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...
. The area takes its name from the remains of the Roman
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...
fort found there which were mistakenly believed to be that of a Roman Temple
Roman temple
Ancient Roman temples are among the most visible archaeological remains of Roman culture, and are a significant source for Roman architecture. Their construction and maintenance was a major part of ancient Roman religion. The main room housed the cult image of the deity to whom the temple was...
.
Roman fort
A Roman fort was first built on the site in earth and wood in the first century AD (most likely in the period 43 to 68), and was later rebuilt in stone. It is thought to have been occupied until the Roman withdrawal from England c410 but its original name has never been ascertained. The Roman roadRoman roads in Britain
Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the vast standing Roman army , constituted the three most impressive features of the Roman Empire. In Britain, as in other provinces, the Romans constructed a comprehensive network of paved trunk roads Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the...
called Icknield Street
Icknield Street
Icknield Street or Ryknild Street is a Roman road in Britain that runs from the Fosse Way at Bourton on the Water in Gloucestershire to Templeborough in South Yorkshire...
(sometimes Ryknild or Riknild Street) crossed the River Don at a ford close to the fort. There was also a road named Batham Gate
Batham Gate
Batham Gate is the medieval name for a Roman road in Derbyshire, England, UK, which ran south-west from Templebrough on the River Don to Brough-on-Noe and the spa town of Buxton . Gate means "road" in northern English dialects; the name therefore means "road to the bath town".-External links:** ...
that ran southwest from the fort to Brough-on-Noe in Derbyshire
Derbyshire
Derbyshire is a county in the East Midlands of England. A substantial portion of the Peak District National Park lies within Derbyshire. The northern part of Derbyshire overlaps with the Pennines, a famous chain of hills and mountains. The county contains within its boundary of approx...
. The double bank that surrounded the fort was still visible in 1831 although it is believed that stone blocks from the site were regularly carried off and re-used in nearby buildings.
Archaeological
Archaeology
Archaeology, or archeology , is the study of human society, primarily through the recovery and analysis of the material culture and environmental data that they have left behind, which includes artifacts, architecture, biofacts and cultural landscapes...
excavations of part of the fort and bath house were carried out in 1877 by the Rotherham Literary and Scientific Society headed by local historians, J D Leader and John Guest. They found evidence that the fort had been burned to the ground and rebuilt twice. Coins discovered during this excavation ranged in date from the time of the emperors Augustus
Augustus
Augustus ;23 September 63 BC – 19 August AD 14) is considered the first emperor of the Roman Empire, which he ruled alone from 27 BC until his death in 14 AD.The dates of his rule are contemporary dates; Augustus lived under two calendars, the Roman Republican until 45 BC, and the Julian...
to Constantine I
Constantine I
Constantine the Great , also known as Constantine I or Saint Constantine, was Roman Emperor from 306 to 337. Well known for being the first Roman emperor to convert to Christianity, Constantine and co-Emperor Licinius issued the Edict of Milan in 313, which proclaimed religious tolerance of all...
.
In 1916 the site of the fort was acquired by Steel, Peach and Tozer's steelworks in order to expand their works to meet the demand for steel during World War I
World War I
World War I , which was predominantly called the World War or the Great War from its occurrence until 1939, and the First World War or World War I thereafter, was a major war centred in Europe that began on 28 July 1914 and lasted until 11 November 1918...
. The plans for the steelworks required the site to be leveled, and 10–15 feet of soil were removed from the area of the fort, destroying all archaeological remains. However, before the works were constructed, a Roman archaeologist, Sir Thomas May, was invited by Rotherham Borough Council to re-excavate the fort over the course of eight months from November 1916 to July 1917.
A tile stamped with the stamp of Cohors IV Gallorum found on the site dates to either the time of Domitian
Domitian
Domitian was Roman Emperor from 81 to 96. Domitian was the third and last emperor of the Flavian dynasty.Domitian's youth and early career were largely spent in the shadow of his brother Titus, who gained military renown during the First Jewish-Roman War...
(81–96) or Trajan
Trajan
Trajan , was Roman Emperor from 98 to 117 AD. Born into a non-patrician family in the province of Hispania Baetica, in Spain Trajan rose to prominence during the reign of emperor Domitian. Serving as a legatus legionis in Hispania Tarraconensis, in Spain, in 89 Trajan supported the emperor against...
(98–117). The Fourth Cohort
Cohort (military unit)
A cohort was the basic tactical unit of a Roman legion following the reforms of Gaius Marius in 107 BC.-Legionary cohort:...
of Gaul
Gaul
Gaul was a region of Western Europe during the Iron Age and Roman era, encompassing present day France, Luxembourg and Belgium, most of Switzerland, the western part of Northern Italy, as well as the parts of the Netherlands and Germany on the left bank of the Rhine. The Gauls were the speakers of...
s are known to have occupied the fort, as evidenced by the clay tiles and carved Roman tombstones discovered on the site. The remains include one of the earliest known memorials to a named British female.
Tombstone of a soldier
Roman military tombstones
The archaeology of death in the Roman period provides great detail into the lives and practices of the Imperial Roman army.- Tombstone form :The most familiar form of commemoration in death is the standing stone stelae; stone slabs taller than they are wide upon which they are inscribed with simple...
inscribed DIS M CINTVSMVS M COH IIII GALLORVM POS MELISVS
"To the spirits of the departed and Cintusmus, a soldier of the Fourth Cohort of Gauls, [this memorial was] placed by Melisus."
(RIB 619; tombstone)
Tombstone of a veteran inscribed DIS MANIBVS CROTO VINDICIS EMERITO COH IIII GALLORVM ANNORVM XXXX MONIMENTVM FECIT FLAVIA PEREGRINA CONIVNX PIENTISSIMA MARITO PIENTISSIMO TITVLVM POSVIT
"To the spirits of the departed and Crotus Vindex, veteran of the Fourth Cohort of Gauls, forty years old, this monument was made and its inscription set down by Flavia Peregrina a most faithful wife for a most faithful husband."
(RIB 620; tombstone)
Tombstone of a Dobunni
Dobunni
The Dobunni were one of the Celtic tribes living in the British Isles prior to the Roman invasion of Britain. There are seven known references to the tribe in Roman histories and inscriptions. The latter part of the name possibly derives from Bune, a cup or vessel...
woman inscribed DIS M VERECVD RVFI LIA CIVES DOBVNNA ANNOR XXXV EXCINGVS CONIVX CONIVGI KARISSIMAE POSIT DE SVO
"To the spirits of the departed and to Verecunda Rufilia, a citizen of the Dobunni,¹ thirty-five years old, her husband Excingus placed this for his dearest wife."
(RIB 621; tombstone)
Finds from both excavations are now housed in Clifton Park Museum
Clifton Park Museum
Clifton Park Museum is a medium-sized municipal museum situated in Clifton House on the western edge of Clifton Park in Rotherham, South Yorkshire, England...
in Rotherham. The original stone columns from the Roman granary
Granary
A granary is a storehouse for threshed grain or animal feed. In ancient or primitive granaries, pottery is the most common use of storage in these buildings. Granaries are often built above the ground to keep the stored food away from mice and other animals.-Early origins:From ancient times grain...
at Templeborough Fort were re-erected in Clifton Park in 1922.
Templeborough steelworks
Steel, Peach and Tozer, known locally as "Steelos" was one of the largest manufacturers in the Rotherham area. The Templeborough steelworks was reputed to be a mile long and at its height in the mid-20th century, employed 10,000 people. After nationalisation in 1967 it became part of the British Steel Corporation. The steelworks closed in 1993 and has since been partly converted into a museum — the £46 million Magna CentreMagna Science Adventure Centre
Magna Science Adventure Centre is an educational visitor attraction, appealing primarily to children. It is located in a disused steel mill in the Templeborough district of Rotherham, England. The site is formerly home to the Steel, Peech and Tozer steel works...
, the only remaining Steel, Peech and Tozer plant is Brinsworth Strip Mills, located on Sheffield Road it now forms part of Corus, a subsidiary of TATA Steel Europe.