Surname & Placename Index

To

Broadbury and its Ancient Earthworks

Trans. Devon. Assoc. 1893, Vol XXV, pp.547-551.

by

J. M. Martin, C.E. etc.

Prepared by Michael Steer

The paper was read at the Association’s July 1893 Torquay meeting. Despite ploughing, Broadbury Castle Roman camp survives quite well and contains information relating to the military and strategic use of the Beaford area of Devon during the Roman period. The monument includes a Roman marching camp located on the summit of a high ridge known as Broadbury. It survives as a rectangular enclosure with rounded corners, an enclosing rampart, outer ditch and second rampart on the northern and eastern sides. Roman camps of this type are invariably rectangular or sub-rectangular enclosures constructed and used by Roman soldiers either when out on campaign or as practice camps; most campaign camps were only temporary overnight bases and few were used for longer periods. They were bounded by a single earthen rampart and outer ditch and in plan are always straight-sided with rounded corners. Normally they have between one and four entrances, although as many as eleven have been recorded. Such entrances were usually centrally placed in the sides of the camp and were often protected by additional defensive outworks. Roman camps are found throughout much of England, although most known examples lie in the midlands and north. Around 140 examples have been identified and, as one of the various types of defensive enclosure built by the Roman Army, particularly in hostile upland and frontier areas, they provide an important insight into Roman military strategy and organisation. All well-preserved examples are identified as being of national importance The article, from a copy of a rare and much sought-after journal can be downloaded from the Internet Archive. Google has sponsored the digitisation of books from several libraries. These books, on which copyright has expired, are available for free educational and research use, both as individual books and as full collections to aid researchers.