On Saturday 14th September, we attended another Heritage Week event - a guided tour of Lunt Roman Fort at Baginton, near Coventry. The tour lasted nearly two hours and was really very interesting.
The earliest evidence for Roman occupation at Lunt was around AD60-61 at the time of Boudica and the Iceni's rebellion. Lunt is close to the junction of two important Roman roads - the Fosse Way and Watling Street. This area of England seems to have been a military zone with forts at Wall (Letocetum) which we have visited, Mancetter, Alcester and Metchley. Tacitus who was a Roman historian and politician recorded that the army was kept ready for action during the winter to quell any remnants of the Boudica uprising.
The Fort at Lunt is on a high plateau with a steep wooded slope above the River Sowe and it was therefore an ideal location to site a fort having good natural defences and a crossing point on the river. The river provide fresh water and the Forest of Arden provided a supply of timber for building.
Based on the number of barrack blocks it is estimated that there were about 480 foot soldiers and 120 cavalry soldiers at Lunt.
In AD64 the fort was reduced in size and towards the end of the AD70's the amount of barrack blocks at the fort was reduced perhaps because troops were needed more in South Wales where there was an uprising by the Silurian tribe.
In AD79 Agricola became Governor of Britain and soldiers moved North to try and conquer more of Britain. The fort was abandoned cAD80.
Six large postholes and a gap in the defensive ditches were the only surviving evidence of the Eastern Gateway. Today the Gateway has been reconstructed based on Trajan's column in Rome. Modern timbers have been placed in the original postholes and the gateway is exactly as it would have been during the Roman occupation. Turf and timber ramparts on both sides of the gateway with ditches either side proved to be a formidable defence. The ditches contained wooden stakes and spikes. The ramparts consisted of banks of earth covered in turf and possibly brambles and nettles.
During the tour you had a chance to climb up onto the Eastern Gateway and ramparts. The following photos were taken by D - I seem to be keeping the cellulitis at bay (just!) but over the last few months I have had problems with my knees so sadly I declined the opportunity to climb up the steps myself.
View towards the reconstructed gyrus - I will write about that later.
*D
The foundations of stone in front of the gyrus may have been for a hospital or a wash house. It is believed 3 pits were used for water storage. This building was constructed at the same time as the Gyrus in AD 64.
The stone foundations in the right foreground of the photo below were for the Principia and Sacellum or HQ and Regimental Shrine. The buildings probably housed armouries and offices. A hidden pit would have contained a pay chest.
The Gyrus in the background of the photo is one of Lunt's special features and is the only one found in Britain. The ring is 34.06m in diameter with a flat sandy floor and a double gate. Archaeological excavations have discovered items connected with cavalry which indicates that the gyrus was probably where soldiers trained horses for combat. Although I think there are a few other theories concerning its possible use.
This is the Horreum or Granary which has been reconstructed and now houses a museum. The granary was an important building in all Roman forts. They contained grain to feed the troops and also stored valuable equipment. Each fort was told to have a year's supply of food in case they came under siege. Granaries were usually located at the centre of fort to keep them out of reach of attackers' fire arrows. They were raised off the ground to keep out vermin and to allow air to circulate to keep grain damp free. The granary at Lunt was built between A64 and AD78.
These are the remains of the Via Principalis and Via Praetoria (East/West and North/South roads) The two roads provided access for soldiers, horses and carts to all parts of the fort.
After the guided tour ended we had a quick look round the museum.
This is the only piece of architectural stone found on the fort site and probably came for a colonnade in the commanding officer's house.
A wine amphora which came from the island of Rhodes. It was found broken and discarded in a ditch at the fort.
I am really glad we made the effort to go and D particularly enjoyed the tour having studied the Romans in one of his final OU History Degree courses.
Reference: Lunt Roman Fort website and various information panels around the Fort site.
Photos taken by me with the Panasonic Lumix FZ330 bridge camera and those marked D* taken by my son with the Canon SX50HS bridge camera. (I don't particularly rate my photos but if anyone wishes to use one of mine or one of my son's I would be grateful for an email first - thanks).
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