Monument record 1641/1/1 - Possible early Roman fort, Irchester

The existence of an early fort at Irchester is suspected. Geophysical survey identified a pair of parallel ditches with a rounded corner typical of Roman military forts, although much of the feature was obscured by later settlement.

{1} Possible early Roman fort; its existence at Irchester is suspected but not yet proven.

{2} The defensive circuit, enclosing some 8ha of the core area of the settlement at Irchester, has been the subject of debate for much of the sites recent history, though without leading to significant targeted intervention on the ground. Much speculation about the origins and purpose of the defences has surrounded their ground plan in which the northern and southern halves appear to be laid out on slightly different alignments. This, alongside the broadly rectilinear plans of each half has led some to speculate that part of the defences started life as an early fort, with one side of the earlier defences subsequently removed and underlying the later core of the town. Aerial photographic reconnaissance, however, shows no clear sign of such an earlier circuit running east-west across the town.

{3} A pair of parallel ditches in the northern part of the walled area run north to south with a rounded corner to the south and a eastward continuation, defining an L-shape. This plan form is suggestive of the ‘playing card’-shaped corners of Roman military forts. To the east, the remainder of the ditch system may be obscured by later buildings and the road. The angle of the corner is slightly obtuse, but this is not unusual as the form of some smaller Roman forts was often influenced by their location, for example Cae Gaer and Carno, Mongomeryshire (Nash-Williams 1969, 135 & 139).

<1> Dix B.N., 1990, Irchester Roman Town, (unchecked) (Report). SNN39884.

<2> Taylor J., 2000, Northamptonshire Extensive Urban Survey: Irchester (Roman), Section 3.2 Defences (checked) (Digital archive). SNN100749.

<3> Butler A.; Meadows I.; Fisher I., 2010, Archaeological Geophysical Survey at Chester Farm, Irchester, Northamptonshire, p.6+Fig.4 (checked) (Report). SNN107215.

Record last edited

May 19 2023 9:47AM