Scheduled Monument: Roman Camp On Birch Hill 200M North West Of Birchdale Farm (1014114)

EXTRACT FROM ENGLISH HERITAGE'S RECORD OF SCHEDULED MONUMENTS MONUMENT: Roman camp on Birch Hill 200m north west of Birchdale Farm PARISH: MANLEY DISTRICT: VALE ROYAL COUNTY: CHESHIRE NATIONAL MONUMENT NO: 25714 NATIONAL GRID REFERENCE(S): SJ52497388 DESCRIPTION OF THE MONUMENT The monument includes a Roman camp visible as a crop mark on aerial photographs in two fields on the south side of the road from Birchhill Cottages to Kingswood Lodge 200m north west of Birchdale Farm. No standing remains survive but the differential growth of crops over the fills of buried ditches is clearly visible on aerial photographs. The camp's enclosing ditch is visible as a crop mark and appears to be about 2m wide, traceable over the two longer sides of a rectangle and showing the characteristic curved profile at the east corner and the west corner. The ditches measure 150m along the longer sides running east-west and 120m along the shorter southern side. The northern side and corner have been interrupted by the road and the north corner has been destroyed by it. The south corner may have been damaged by the removal of a pylon and subsequent replacement of the topsoil at this point in the recent past. There are no visible traces of entrances in the ditch. The surface of the road and stone hedge foundations and a pylon situated 10m to the east of the monument on the south east side are excluded from the scheduling but the ground beneath these features is included. ASSESSMENT OF IMPORTANCE Roman camps are rectangular or sub-rectangular enclosures which were 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. Although the site does not retain any upstanding remains, it is clearly visible on aerial photographs which show an almost complete ditch circuit on three sides. The site therefore retains significant remains below the topsoil, including debris from the earliest construction and use of the site in the fills of the ditch, and signs of the rampart and possibly preservation of an earlier soil level beneath it. The interior will have indications of the occupation pattern and pits for latrines as well as post holes where timber buildings may have been erected. The ground on the west corner is waterlogged providing a chance of good preservation of the remains in the fill of the ditch at this point. Overall, therefore, the monument will provide important information about the Roman military occupation of this region. MONUMENT INCLUDED IN THE SCHEDULE ON 19th March 1996