Balmuildy Camp

Marching or Temporary Camp

The Buchley or Balmuildy Camp was a medium-sized camp was discovered on aerial photographs taken by J.K. St. Joseph in 1951. It lies on the flood plain of the River Kelvin about a third of a mile north-east of the Antonine fort at Balmuildy and only about 1,000 feet north of the Antonine Wall. Each of the well-rounded corner-angles and all sides are recorded, along with details of four wide gateways, set one in each side; the camp was possibly aligned to the north-east. Two small enclosures are attached to the outside perimeter of the camp near the east angle, the one on the north-east side enclosing an area about one-seventh that of the main camp.

The Antonine Wall Station at Buchley

This very small enclosure measuring only 18 feet square (c.5.5 m²), was discovered on aerial photographs in 1984 attached to the rear of the Antonine Wall about 1,900 feet (580 m) west of the Wilderness Plantation fortlet. This may be one of a small group of stations first identified by Prof. St. Joseph in the 1950’s, and at first thought to be Antonine equivalents of Hadrianic ‘turrets’, although excavation by Hanson & Maxwell of the example at Wilderness Plantation in the early-1980’s failed to either prove or disprove this theory. Located between Balmuildy fort and Wilderness Plantation, to the south of Buchley Farm.

Map References for Buchley

OS National Grid Reference: NS587722
Dimensions: 770 x 625 ft (235 x 190 m)
Area: 11 acres (4.5 ha)

References for Buchley

  • Air Reconnaissance in Britain, 1951-5 by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S. xlv (1955) pp.86/7;
  • Air Reconnaissance in Britain, 1973-76 by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S. lxvii (1977) p.134;
  • Air Reconnaissance in Roman Britain 1977-1984 by G.S. Maxwell & D.R. Wilson in Britannia xviii (1987) p.28.

Map References for Buchley

NGRef: NS5872 OSMap: LR64

Roman Roads near Buchley

None identified

Sites near Balmuildy Camp