Saxon Shore Forts

[Northern Neil]

I have a constant niggle at the back of my mind concerning these forts. Where are the internal buildings, and what form did they take? (perhaps the term 'late period' forts should be used here - Cardiff had a saxon shore type fort, as did Lancaster and Caer Gybi) Reculver admittedly had a conventional praetorium - but then, it wasn't so much a late period fort, as one of the last early period ones - if you get my drift. Richborough and Lympne have a few very small internal buildings, but not much else. the other forts are just walls with nothing inside. Am I missing something here? Or maybe I am not up to date on recent research... anyway, if anyone can shed some light, I would be grateful, as I have an obsession about making reconstruction models of Roman buildings. But so far I have insufficient evidence to do a convincing model of one of these!

 

By the way, the excellent 'Google Earth' site reveals an astonishing picture of the 4th century fort at Portchester!

[Pertinax]

The possible function is as as a secure transit camp for a large body of soldiery-this is a logical idea is it not? What else could be accomodated in a defensible perimeter without leaving built evidence? Granaries have a definite physical signature and are inescapable in our damp climate, horses need much more room if grazing for any reasonable length of time (though they could be fed for a while in an enclosed camp).The other function could be in relation to a civilian Vicus-ie: sheltering a population of threatened persons, but this only arises if the fort has a substantial adjacent civilian settlement.So, I vote for walled transit camp.

[phil25]

Barrack blocks at Housesteads, on the Wall, show that the neat linear arrangements had been replaced by more haphazard, chalet-type, structures by the late period. While still in rows, the remains give the impression of something much more temporary and jerry-built, than the previous buildings.

 

I wonder whether the Shore Forts had similar arrangements.

 

I realise that later use (medieval etc) may have impacted on the sites, but has no one ever excavated and explored the interior of one of these important sites?

 

Phil

[Pertinax]

The later structures all tended to hug the exterior walls if im not mistaken?

[caldrail]

The interior of these forts has changed a lot over the years. I doubt even the late romans had the barrack rooms against the walls (purely for fire risk you understand) but I haven't seen any evidence for that either.