St. Leonards Hill Temporary Camp

Marching or Temporary Camp

St. Leonards Hill Temporary Camp covered 173 acres and was reportedly the largest Roman camp ever found! Lying about 2 miles south of Lauder, close to the line of Dere Street, the eastern defences and gateway of this unusually large, sub-rectangular camp were discovered on aerial photographs taken in the late 1940’s. Part of the north side and much of the south side, including a gateway and tutulus, were later recorded on A.P.’s in the early-50’s, by 1956 almost the entire outline had been established along with three tutulus gateways, and in 1960 the remainder of the west side and its gateway with tutulus outworks had been recorded. A second gateway in the west side was recorded in 1965. The long axis of the camp is aligned NW-SE.

There are other marching camps in the area, about a mile to the south at Blainslie, at Kedslie about 3½ miles along Dere Street to the south, also at Channelkirk, about 5 miles along Dere Street to the north-west.

References for St Leonards Camp

  • Air Reconnaissance of North Britain by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S. xli (1951) p.57;
  • Air Reconnaissance in Britain, 1951-5 by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S. xlv (1955) p.85;
  • Air Reconnaissance in Britain, 1955-7 by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S. xlviii (1958) p.88;
  • Air Reconnaissance in Britain, 1958-1960 by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S. li (1961) p.121;
  • Air Reconnaissance in Britain, 1961-64 by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S. lv (1965) p.78;
  • Britannia xxxii (2001) p.322; Britannia xxxiii (2002) p.290.

Map References for St Leonards Camp

NGRef: NT5445 OSMap: LR73

OS National Grid Reference: NT547455
Dimensions: 3,120 x 2,300 ft (951 x 701 m)
Area: 164¾ acres (c.67 ha)

Roman Roads near St Leonards Camp

Dere Street: NW (20) to Elginhavgh (Lothian) Dere Street: S (7) to Newstead (Newstead, Borders)

Sites near St. Leonards Hill Temporary Camp