Bawtry Roman Fort

Fortlet

The existence of a small Roman fort about ½-mile (c.0.8 km) east of Bawtry was first noted in the Victoria County History of 1905, and, although all visible traces of the earthworks have now been lost due to intense cultivation of this prime agricultural site, the outline of the fort was observed from the air in 1944 and subsequent years. It lies on a gravel terrace of the River Idle, a tributary of the Trent, which would have presented problems during Roman times in the form of marshes, which have since been drained, leaving the site around 1,000 feet (c.305 m) from the present course of the river. The encampment is square, with gateways in the centre of its south-west and north-east sides, its defences aligned on the Roman road which passes only 100 feet (c.30.5 m) outside its north-eastern defences. The fortlet is evidently placed to guard the crossing over the Itchen of the main Roman road running between the coloniae at Lincoln and York (JRS 1953 p.87).

Map References for Bawtry

OS National Grid Reference: SK658928
Dimensions: c.175 x 175 ft (c.53 x 53 m)
Area: c.¾-acre (c.0.28 ha)

References for Bawtry

  • Air Reconnaissance of Southern Britain by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S. XLIII (1953) pp.81-97; 

Map References for Bawtry

NGRef: SK6592 OSMap: LR111

Roman Roads near Bawtry

NW (9) to Danvm (Doncaster, South Yorkshire) SE (12) to Segelocvm (Littleborough, Nottinghamshire)

Sites near Bawtry Roman Fort