Risingham Roman Fort
Called Habitancum.
Major fort in the 3rd century with a mixed garrison of 1000 men, to control the area north of the Wall, originally built for the Scottish Invasion of 139AD
RISSINGHAM.Roman-Fort
Risingham Roman Fort is located on Dere Street about 15 miles north of Corbridge and 8.5 miles south of High Rochester. It is just south west of West Woodburn a mile west of A68, as you head to the fort you cannot miss it. The fort was built to guard the River Rede crossing. It is now almost a quarter of a mile for the river, which has often changed its course over two millennia, the best guess is it was about 150ft from the river when occupied, although there is no sign of the bridge and its rampart today
. After the occupation part of the northern rampart was destroyed as can be seen above.Dere St was west of the fort west of the Chesterhole Burn, identified above by the line of trees on the left of the picture.
Risingham-Roman-Fort-looking-SE
There has been no excavation for 80 years. But between 2009/12 a survey was conducted using magnetic and photographic tools, which proved that there is a lot to explore and how necessary excavation is! The Roman name possibly comes from the surname Habitus, but why is a mystery.
History
There appear to be three phases:
- The Antonine Fort from AD 139 was probably built for the second invasion of Scotland, but was destroyed in 197AD
- Severan Fort built on the same site, but differently alined about 205/208 AD. . The rebuilding of the fort would have been part of a major refurbishing of the Wall undertaken in the first years of the 3rd It had southern main gate, which is exceptional in so far as it had a single portal and 2 seven sided towers. The north gate may not have been used and the east gate is uncertain.
- The fort was reconstructed possible as early as the first half of the third century and not in the 4th century as previously thought. The fort was re planned to face west, the reason is unknown. The fort was reorganised with 18 barracks and other buildings, resulting in a high density of buildings. The eastern tower of the south gates was rebuilt, with four sides, perhaps the original collapsed or the novelty of build resulted in a weak structure, as it was likely the only one in the Hadrian Wall fortifications. It was later reduced a pedestrian gate.
Risingham-Roman-Fort W-and–E-Wall
What can be seen are the remains of ramparts, a turf backing behind the wall. The facing stone from the very well-built fort of the 3rd and 4th-century fort has gone, except the NE corner, which can be seen above. It measured 400 ft. by 485ft north south, just under 5 acres. North of the fort there were no ditches because the land fell away. On the east there are 7 ditches, but there are so small that they may not have been Roman. On the West is a large Roman ditch which was Roman, with a road to Dere St from the gate over the Chesterhope Burn. The South probably had a ditch.
The HQ building was excavated in 1935 and the Bath House in the 19th century in the fort, which identifies how hostile the location was. Nearly all forts had the Bath House outside the wall because of fire risk.
Risingham-Roman-Fort–Northern-damage-and-NE-corner
The fort is believed to be abandoned in the first quarter of 4th century.
Garrisons
In the 140’s Ad the garrison was the 4th Cohort of Gauls a mixed ancillary cohort of about 500 men. By the 3rd century, it was 1St cohort of Vangeonionum Militaris equitata, a mixed cohort of 1000 men, obviously with a large cavalry contingent, part of the Ractorum cohort (spearmen) and a contingent of scouts. This would make it the largest garrison in the Wall surround. Hence the fort was crowded. The situation is further confused with the building of small holding in the fort, which existed into the early 19th century
Extra Mural Settlement
There probably was a large extra mural community on the west, east and south side the fort, which has hardly been explored.