Crackenthorpe Temporary Fort

Marching or Temporary Camp

The Crackenthorpe Camp is unusually sited camp was seemingly aligned upon the line of the Roman road between Kirkby Thore and Brough Castle, which originally passed about 200 ft (60m) outside the north-eastern defences of the camp and lay on the same alignment as the disused railway cutting. The modern A66 main road passes through the north-eastern half of the camp, and Powis Cottage lies just inside the south-eastern defences, the minor road to Long Marton cutting across the eastern corner-angle.

The defences are rhomboid in plan and enclose an area of 23 acres (9.3ha), however, the course of the Gaylock Syke runs through the south-western portion of the camp, thus making about 5¼ acres (2.1ha) of the camp’s interior unsuitable for pitching tents. There are ten visible gates; four on the north-east, with external tituli protective outworks on three of them, three on the south-east all with tituli, two gates with tituli on the south-west and a single gate on the north-west without any outer defences.

This large temporary marching camp and other similarly-sized fortifications at Rey Cross and Plumpton Head have all been attributed to the campaigns of governor Quintus Petilius Cerialis against the Brigantian dissident Venutius sometime around 72/73AD. Another pre-Flavian camp from this particular campaign may be awaiting discovery at Carlisle.

RIB 2284 - Milestone of Philip the Arab and Philip II

For the Emperor Caesar Marcus Julius Philippus Pius Felix Invictus Augustus for ever and for Marcus Julius Philippus, most noble Caesar.

IMP CAE
SARI MARC[...]
IVLIO PHI[...]PO
PIO FELICI
INVICTO
AVGVSTO P
ERP
ET M IVL [...]HILIPPO
NOBILISSIMO
CAESARI

The two Philips, A.D. 244-9. For a discussion of the title perpetuus see Haverfield Rom. Brit. loc. cit.Gough’s entry is probably his own note and not, as Huebner thought, part of the details derived from Hayton, who compiled a list of Bainbrigg’s stones at Appleby.

References for Crackenthorpe Camp

  • Roman Camps in England – The Field Archaeology by the R.C.H.M.E.;
  • Chronicle of the Roman Emperors by Chris Scarre (Thames & Hudson, London, 1995);

Map References for Crackenthorpe Camp

NGRef: NY6523 OSMap: LR91

OS National Grid Reference: NY650237
Dimensions: c.985 ft² (c.300 m²)
Area: 23 acres (9.3 ha)

Roman Roads near Crackenthorpe Camp

NW (1.5) to Bravoniacvm (Kirkby Thore, Cumbria) SE (10.5) to Verteris (Brough-under-Stainmore, Cumbria)

Sites near Crackenthorpe Temporary Fort