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Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand.
(01-13-2017, 04:49 PM)John1 Wrote: "I agree with Nathan"  well if we all did that it wouldn't be much of a thread, so I guess I'll have to hold out just for the sake of debate......

 "it's not a size nor location that is typical" great! wouldn't want ordinary....

"a site visit can't confirm it as only aerial photography with crop marks or extensive digging could validate it." done the site visit, it's a little less than anonymous, I would vote for a bit of a dig, it doesn't need to be extensive though, a couple of sections might crack it. But it won't be me and it won't be any time soon.

John, I've been looking at Roman encampments for a while, and the one thing that I've found, is even when I know exactly where to look, they are seldom at all visible on google earth (but that does not stop me looking).

But there are a few criteria that do stand out. Most encampments (in Scotland) are on a hill top or in some way make use of slopes in a defensive way (as in using natural gullies and slopes). Most have large flat areas (Generals don't like sleeping on a hillside with soldiers rolling down the hill in their sleep into their tent). Most encampments are close by a good supply of water. Most also avoid areas of bog and water.

However ... remember this is Scotland ... so midges are a huge problem and the hill tops may be more to do with having a breeze to deal with midges than defence.

And the diagnostic features that are fairly unique are thin ditches (when viewed on Google maps), rounded corners and gates

From what I know of England very few encampments have been found. And if you've visited the site, I guess you are from England.

So what you really need to do is to come to Scotland and tour the encampments - not that there is anything at all to see in terms of Roman material, but when you get your eye in you start to recognise the types of sites. To be honest, whilst you can visit 5-10 sites in a day, there is absolutely nothing to see.

Other things Roman worth seeing in Scotland (from memory):
  • Burnswark Hill Fort (Not marked out, but two Roman Encampmentss and an iron-age enclosure) (just off M74)
  • Another Fort not far from the M74 (Forget the name right now).
  • Hunterian Museum (Glasgow), National Museum of Scotland (Edinburgh)
  • Ardoch Fort (well preserved earth banks) + several encampments (not easy to see)
  • Rough Castle (Falkirk - best place to see Antonine wall - or more exact ditch) + (Seabegs wood? + Watling Lodge + Stretches in Falkirk?)
  • Bar Hill (A complete fort part in stone, but only a few buildings marked out by low walls being visible. It's on the Antonine wall, but can be difficult to find as first time I missed the right bit) - also the site of a couple of encampments
Lesser sites:
  • Duntocher (very little to see at all (I think it was just a slight change in grass)- but in a public park .... then drive past Castle hill to Bearsden)
  • Bearsden Fort (In housing with only the bathhouse is visible) + Bearsden Cemetery (the foundations of Antonine wall are visible in two ditches)
  • Gask Ridge (The ridge is important historically, but only one watch tower is visible - but it is far from impressive being just a very faint round circle)
  • Inchtuthil Fort (On private land in a field of cows. Very little to see except a few ditches, but the size is impressive).
  • Cramond Roman Fort (Edinburgh - mostly marked out lines, but a few low walls.)
Oh the grand oh Duke Suetonius, he had a Roman legion, he galloped rushed down to (a minor settlement called) Londinium then he galloped rushed back again. Londinium Bridge is falling down, falling down ... HOLD IT ... change of plans, we're leaving the bridge for Boudica and galloping rushing north.
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Messages In This Thread
Re: Calling all armchair generals! - by Ensifer - 03-11-2010, 03:13 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-18-2012, 06:26 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 12:02 AM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 02:50 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 05:40 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 02-19-2012, 11:26 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 05:11 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 09:42 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-24-2012, 10:10 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 03:11 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 03:25 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-25-2012, 08:36 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-26-2012, 02:57 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 04-27-2012, 01:50 PM
Re: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by Steve Kaye - 08-05-2012, 02:24 PM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-07-2014, 02:18 PM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-08-2014, 01:50 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-11-2014, 02:03 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-18-2014, 07:54 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-20-2014, 02:37 AM
Calling all armchair generals! Boudica\'s Last Stand. - by antiochus - 11-25-2014, 08:29 AM
RE: Calling all armchair generals! Boudica's Last Stand. - by MonsGraupius - 01-14-2017, 04:24 PM

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