Eskbank Marching Camps
Marching or Temporary Camp
A large Roman temporary camp at Eskbank, identified in 1962, has a N side of 1360′, but only some 600′ of the E and W sides have been seen. The crop-mark of the ditch is clearly visible for the whole of the N side, except for some 200′ of the centre where a belt of trees and market gardens intervenes. The N gate must, therefore, lie in this belt. The average dimensions of the shorter sides of the 63-acre camps is 1350′, and these sides always have a central gate. However, St Boswells I and Pathhead I, some 53 acres in extent, both have their shorter sides not far different from this. Eskbank can hardly be grouped with Pathhead, only 4 3/4 miles distant, so it may well belong to the 63-acre series, but it cannot be assigned with certainty until the length is established.
St. Joseph speculates that this camp may belong to the 63-acre series of camps. There are other camps along the Esk at Lugton, Dalkeith and Inveresk.
References for Eskbank Camps
- Air Reconnaissance in Britain, 1961-64 by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S. lv (1965) p.80;
- Air Reconnaissance in Britain, 1965-1968 by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S. lix (1969) p.108;
- Britannia iv (1973) p.275.
Map References for Eskbank Camps
NGRef: NT3266 OSMap: LR66
Roman Roads near Eskbank Camps
None identified
Sites near Eskbank Marching Camps
- Elginhaugh Roman Fort (1 km)
Flavian Auxiliary Fort (AD 69–96) and Marching or Temporary Camp - Lugton Marching Camp (1 km)
Marching or Temporary Camp - Dere Street (2 km)
Roman Road - Dalkeith Marching Camp (3 km)
Marching or Temporary Camp - Inveresk Marching Camp (5 km)
Marching or Temporary Camp - Inveresk Roman Fort (6 km)
Antonine Auxiliary Fort (AD 138–161) and Vicus - Pathhead Camps (8 km)
Marching or Temporary Camp - Pathhead Temporary Camp 3 (9 km)
Marching or Temporary Camp - Glencorse Mains Fortlet (10 km)
Marching or Temporary Camp - Fala Mill Temporary Camp (12 km)
Marching or Temporary Camp