Templeborough Roman Fort

Neronian Auxiliary Fort (AD 54–68) and Vicus

The fort is almost square, measuring some 495 by 490 feet, covering an area of 5½ acres. Defences consisted of a turf rampart, built on a foundation of gravel and clay, an average 18 feet wide, with a single 18 foot wide ditch, separated from the rampart by a 13 foot wide berm. The occupation date of the fort is not certain, but cannot be later than early Flavian, and it may be earlier. The fort was buried under the Rotherham steelworks during the First World War, and was never archaeologically excavated.

The fort was reduced in size by cutting down the early turf rampart of the retentura and building a new fort, surrounded by a nine foot thick stone wall, backed by a clay bank and fronted by a single, 18 foot wide ditch. The internal dimensions of “Templeborough II” was about 380 by 440 feet, giving a new occupation area of about 3¾ acres.

Neronian and Flavian pottery recovered from the site indicates that this fort was constructed very early in the history of Roman rule. Samian ware of the Trajanic, Hadrianic and Antonine periods, together with other pottery dated to the third and fourth centuries probably indicates continued and uninterrupted occupation up until the Roman withdrawal from the province. The latest coins recovered from the site include those of Carausius (286-293) and Constantine? (307-337).

Epigraphic Evidence for the Fort’s Garrison

RIB 619 - Funerary inscription for Cintusmus

To the spirits of the departed: Cintusmus, soldier of the Fourth Cohort of Gauls Melisus set this up.

DIS M CINTVSM
VS M COH IIII GALL
ORVM PO MELISVS

Cintusmus is a Celtic name used by two potters and several others, see Holder s.v. Addenda from RIB+add. (1995): For Cintusmus see also RIB 194.

RIB 620 - Funerary inscription for Crotus

To the spirits of the departed and to Crotus, son of Vindex, emeritus of the Fourth Cohort of Gauls, aged 40 Flavia Peregrina, his devoted wife, made this monument and set up this inscription to her devoted husband.

DIS MANIBVS CROTO VINDICIS EM
ERITO COH IIII GALLORVM ANNORVM
XXXX MONIMENTVM FECIT FLAVIA PE
REGRINA CONIVNX PIENTISSIMA MARITO PIENTISS
IMO TITVLVM POSVIT

Aurelius Crotus at Carrawburgh (RIB 1525, 1532) is not the same person, as May supposes, being a Roman citizen of a later age. For immunis and emeritus see Glossary.

RIB 621 - Funerary inscription for Verecunda

To the spirits of the departed: Verecunda daughter of Rufus, a tribeswoman of the Dobunni, aged 35 Excingus, her husband, from his own resources set this up to his beloved wife.

DIS M
VERECVD RVFI LIA CIVES
DOBVNNA ANNOR XXXV EXCINGVS
CONIVX CONIVGI KARISSIMA[...]
POSIT DE SVO

Dobunna: the tribe of the Dobunni, or Dobuni, was based on Cirencester. For the spelling see CIL xvi 49.Excingus: Holder cites five examples of this Celtic name and some derivatives.

References for Templeborough

  • The Roman Inscriptions of Britain by R.G. Collingwood and R.P. Wright (Oxford 1965);
  • The Archaeology of Roman Britain by R.G. Collingwood (Methuen, London, 1930).

Map References for Templeborough

NGRef: SK4191 OSMap: LR111

Roman Roads near Templeborough

S (13) to Chesterfield (Derbyshire) Probable road: NE (12) to Danvm (Doncaster, South Yorkshire) WSW (17) to Brovgh-on-noe (Brough-on-Noe, Derbyshire)

Sites near Templeborough Roman Fort