Leighton Temporary Marching Camps

Marching or Temporary Camp

The crop marks of three Roman marching camps lie to the immediate south of the campaign fortress at Leighton, close beside the B4380 minor road between Eaton Constantine and Cressage. The south-western corner-angles of 3 large, overlapping camps lie in a bend of the River Severn just outside the fortress’ southern defences. The triple ditch system of the fortress seems to overlie the north-eastern parts of all three camps and must therefore be a later contruction date.

Leighton Camp 1¹

OS National Grid Reference: SJ596049
Dimensions: c.330+ x 670+ ft (c.100+ x 205+ m)
Area: unknown
Description: The SW corner-angle of this camp has a radius of curvature approaching 130 feet (c.40m) which indicates a very large encampment, and does not constitute a right-angle, being in fact around 100°. About 200 feet (c.60m) of the W side and a longer 540 foot (c.165m) length of the S side have been traced. The corner-angle of Camp-2 intersects the corner of this camp and lies on a slightly different alignment.

Leighton Camp 2¹

OS National Grid Reference: SJ596049
Dimensions: c.460+ x 590+ ft (c.140+ x 180+ m)
Area: unknown
Description: This camp is also identified from its SW corner-angle, an attached 460 foot (c.140m) length of the W side and a longer 590 foot (c.180m) length of the S defences have been traced on A.P.’s. The radius of curvature of this corner is only about 33 feet (c.10m) and describes an angle of 90°, so it is assumed that the camp was significantly smaller in size than Camp-1, whose widely-curving SE corner cuts obliquely across the defences of this camp close to the southern end of its western rampart.

Leighton Camp 3¹

OS National Grid Reference: SJ596050
Dimensions: c.150+ x 390+ ft (c.45+ x 120+ m)
Area: unknown
Description: The SW corner-angle of this encampment lies about (150m) N of the other two camps, less than 100 yards/metres outside the SW defences of the Leighton vexillation fortress. The radius of curvature, like that of Camp-2 is again small and covers a right-angle, with attached, a short 150 foot (c.45m) section of the W side and a longer 390 foot (c.120m) length of the S side.
  1. These designations are arbitrary, based merely on apparent size, and are not official.

References for Eaton Constantine – Leighton

  • Air Reconnaissance in Britain, 1969-72 by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S. lxiii (1973) pp.234/5;
  • Air Reconnaissance in Britain, 1973-76 by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S. lxvii (1977) p.145 & fig.12;
  • The Cornovii by Graham Webster (Sutton 1991; map, fig.11 p.28); 

Map References for Eaton Constantine – Leighton

NGRef: SJ5905 OSMap: LR126/127

OS National Grid Reference: SJ598055
Dimensions: c.1,050 x 920 ft (c.320 x 280 m)
Area: c.22¼ acres (c.9 ha)

Roman Roads near Eaton Constantine – Leighton

None identified

Sites near Leighton Temporary Marching Camps