Stretton Mill Roman Fort

Auxiliary Fort

The Stretton Mill Fort lies 1,000 feet north of Watling Street and occupies a level platform on the west side of the small river Penk. The tactical position is good: on the East the ground slopes down to the river, while on the South and West a streamlet flows in what used to be a marshy hollow. Almost square in shape, defenses consisted of two V-shaped ditches on the south-west, north-west and north-east and by a single ditch in the south-east. The inner ditch 10-12 ft. wide and 6 ft. deep, the outer 9 ft. wide and 5 ft. deep. Because of the sandy subsoil in the area, the walls of the ditches were covered by a layer of clay up to 2 ins. thick in places. Up to a foot of silt was found in the bottom of the trenches. Evidence of a turf rampart was found, and if a width of 20 ft. is allowed for this within the vallation, the enclosure would measure 430 by 365 ft. (131 x 111 m), an area of just over 3½ acres (c.1.4 ha), large enough to house a five-hundred strong auxiliary infantry unit, a cohors [peditata] quingenaria. The fort was evidently only a temporary structure as no finds of any brickwork or post-holes were found within the defences. The only finds of any nature being the neck of a small red flagon and a minute piece of Samian, possibly from a cup, located in the filling of the inner ditch on the north-east, both datable only to between A.D. 50-200.

Map References for Stretton Mill

OS National Grid Reference: SJ896111
Dimensions: c.430 x 365 ft (c.131 x 111 m)
Area: c.3½ acres (c.1.4 ha)

References for Stretton Mill

  • Roman Camps in England – The Field Archaeology by the R.C.H.M.E. (H.M.S.O, London, 1995);
  • Air Reconnaissance of Southern Britain by J.K. St. Joseph in J.R.S. xliii (1953) pp.81-97;

Map References for Stretton Mill

NGRef: SJ8911 OSMap: LR127

Roman Roads near Stretton Mill

None identified

Sites near Stretton Mill Roman Fort