Details

The monument includes two Roman camps, one within the other, situated on a
gentle north-east facing slope 200m south-west of Dere Street Roman road. The
first camp, now rather fragmentary but clearly visible on aerial photographs,
is trapezoidal in shape. It is visible as a slight, fragmentary rampart 4m
wide on three sides with gateways in the south and west sides, the latter with
traces of an internal clavicula, an inturned extension of the rampart. The
northern side of the camp is visible in parts as a slight, narrow ditch. The
camp has maximum dimensions of 311m north-south by 372m east-west. The second
camp is situated within the first and is exceptionally well preserved; it is
sub-rectangular in shape with rounded corners. It measures a maximum of 205m
north-south by 175m east-west within a prominent earthen bank 4m wide and
1.5m above an external ditch 3m wide. Gateways 10.5m wide exist in all four
sides of the camp and all are protected by external detached lengths of
rampart known as traverses, although that on the north has been severely
reduced. The new security perimeter fence of Redesdale Camp which runs through
the southern edge of the scheduled area is excluded from the scheduling but
the ground beneath it is included.

MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
It includes a 2 metre boundary around the archaeological features,
considered to be essential for the monument's support and preservation.

Source: Historic England

Reasons for Scheduling

Roman camps are rectangular or sub-rectangular enclosures which were
constructed and used by Roman soldiers either when out on campaign or as
practice camps; most campaign camps were only temporary overnight bases and
few were used for longer periods. They were bounded by a single earthen
rampart and outer ditch and in plan are always straight-sided with rounded
corners. Normally they have between one and four entrances, although as many
as eleven have been recorded. Such entrances were usually centrally placed in
the sides of the camp and were often protected by additional defensive
outworks. Roman camps are found throughout much of England, although most
known examples lie in the midlands and north. Around 140 examples have been
identified and, as one of the various types of defensive enclosure built by
the Roman Army, particularly in hostile upland and frontier areas, they
provide an important insight into Roman military strategy and organisation.
All well-preserved examples are identified as being of national importance.

The two camps east of Burdhopecrag Hall are part of a large network of Roman
military sites clustered around Bremenium Roman Fort and Dere Street. The
smaller camp is exceptionally well preserved and both are good examples of
their type. They will contribute to our understanding of the Roman conquest
and occupation of northern Britain.

Source: Historic England

Sources

Books and journals
Richmond, I A, 'Northumberland County History xv' in The Romans in Redesdale, (1940), 120-122
Other
NY 89 NW 10,
St Joseph, K, Proc Soc Antiq Ncle ser 4 vol 6, (1934)

Source: Historic England