Monument record 1970/4 - Roman camp at Upton, 350m NE of the water tower N of Long Lane

<1> Cheshire Historic Environment Record, 1990-2001, Jill Collens and Rob Philpott's Aerial Photographs, LM 90.2016, LM 90.2018, LM 90.2021, LM 90.2027, 10/08/1990 (Aerial Photograph). SCH5403.

Parchmark photographed August 1990 of 3 sides of rectangular enclosure, with straight sides and 2 rounded corners. One of a group of possible Roman practice camps (see also 1970/1-3).

<2> English Heritage, Various, Schedule Entry (Scheduled Ancient Monuments Amendment), 25724 (Scheduling Record). SCH2950.

Roman camp visible as a cropmark on aerial photographs taken in 1990. The camp is one of a group of five within a square kilometre to the west of Upton Grange Farm. Since there are so many of these camps grouped together it is suggested that they were constructed as practice camps by troops from the garrison at Chester. The camp is enclosed by a ditch which has rectangular sides and rounded corners in the shape of a playing card. It measures 100m by 120m with the longer sides east to west. The area enclosed is 1.2ha. Excavations of other Roman camps have revealed that the ditch will be V-cut with a rampart within the ditch circuit. The rampart and ditch have been ploughed level so that no trace is now visible on the ground. The rampart will be about 6m wide at the base and the ditch 1.45m deep and 2m wide.

<3> Philpott, R A, 1998, New Evidence from Aerial Reconnaissance for Military Sites in Cheshire, Brittania. Vol XXIX 1998 (Article in Journal). SCH5632.

One of a group of a series of subrectangular enclosures within a few kilometres of Chester. A discussion about the interpretation of these features can be found in this article. New discoveries from aerial photography and excavation support a Roman Military origin.