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Whitely Castle
Those of you who are fans of Bernard Cornwell will know Whitley castle from his latest book: those of you who know their Roman stuff will know it as Epiacum Fort: and those who really know their stuff will know it’s the most complex set of defences in the Roman world
Crammed between the grass and sky
And what a setting it is: crammed between the grass and the sky, the fortress sits on a high ridge above the Road, imposing itself on the surrounding countryside. The remains of the defences are like green frozen waves rolling out from the walls and the remains of the corner towers are so clear you can practically still see the chilled garrison huddling around the fires, avoiding the chilly winds racing across the bleak beautiful fells.
Lozenge Shape
The location is narrow, and so the fort is less a rectangle and more a lozenge. The overlooking fells were clearly of sufficient worry for the various commanders to keep his lads busy adding to and complicating the banks that run away in rolling damp grassy undulations from the fort, but aside from a few isolated farms and an RAF fighter or 2 we reckoned the builders of this place would easily recognize it today
The only locals in sight were woolly, the only people were us, and the only sound was that of the drone and the wind, and we could have stayed forever. A place we will definitely visit again, and if you haven’t then take my advice. Do.
Incomplete and rather abraded Middle Saxon to Late Saxon sheet copper alloy hooked tag of Read 2008 early medieval single sharp-hooked clasp Class B, Type 2. One of the two attachment holes in incomplete. Six [...]
Medieval to post-medieval copper alloy button with an almost flat head and an integral drilled loop. A circumferential groove on the front face of the head is probably moulded and the flat area within it [...]
Badly misshapen Late Saxon to post-medieval lead spindle whorl, probably once either annular or plano-convex. On one face a rectangular depression, 15 x 9mm and 1.mm deep, which surrounds the central hole, may be created [...]
Post-medieval white-metal coated copper alloy double-looped buckle frame, both loops trapezoidal, with a lobe at the ends of the bar, cf. Whitehead 2003, nos. 512-3. Weight 6.22g. Length 40mm. Width 21.1mm. c.1620 - c.1680. [...]
Post-medieval copper alloy jew's harp with a rabbet for an iron tongue which has been lost. There are profuse file marks on much of the surfaces. Weight 24.97g. Length 59.5mm. Width 26.8mm. Thickness 7.4mm. Not [...]
Medieval to post-medieval copper alloy of variable pentagonal cross-section with file marks on non-abraded areas. Weight 3.71g. External diameter 26 - 26.6mm. Internal diameter 21mm. Thickness 2.5mm. Possibly used in the suspension of drapes (Egan [...]
Post-medieval copper alloy strap fitting, a small, circular, plano-convex mount with a pair of integral round-sectioned attachment spikes on the reverse. The tips of these are bent over suggesting the strap was c.4mm thick. Weight 0.90g. Diameter [...]
Post-medieval copper alloy flat harness mount in the form of an elaborate quatrefoil, with two integral oval-sectioned attachment spikes on the reverse bent over suggesting a strap c.3mm thick. Very similar to Read 2016, nos. [...]
Post-medieval copper alloy button with a solid plano-convex head and an integral non-drilled loop. Weight 1.88g. Diameter 9.6 - 10.3mm. Length 10.2mm. 16th century [...]
A fragment of a struck silver coin, very probably a halfgroat of Elizabeth I (1558-1603) mint of London. Not further defined.Inferred diameter 16mm, thickness 0.3mm, weight 0.3g. [...]
A copper alloy Roman nummus of Constantius II (AD323-361) dating to AD330-335 (Reece period 17). GLORIA EXERCITVS reverse type depicting two soldiers with two standards. Unclear mint. [...]
A copper alloy Roman nummus of the House of Constantine (AD307-361) dating to AD330-335 (Reece period 17). GLORIA EXERCITVS reverse type depicting two soldiers with two standards. Unclear mint. [...]
A copper alloy Roman nummus of the House of Constantine (AD307-361) dating to AD330-335 (Reece period 17). GLORIA EXERCITVS reverse type depicting two soldiers with two standards. Unclear mint. [...]
A copper alloy Roman nummus of the House of Constantine (AD307-361) dating to AD330-335 (Reece period 17). GLORIA EXERCITVS reverse type depicting two soldiers with two standards. Unclear mint. [...]
A copper alloy Roman nummus of the House of Constantine (AD307-361) dating to AD330-335 (Reece period 17). GLORIA EXERCITVS reverse type depicting two soldiers with two standards. Unclear mint. [...]
A copper alloy Roman nummus of the House of Constantine (AD307-361) dating to AD330-335 (Reece period 17). GLORIA EXERCITVS reverse type depicting two soldiers with two standards. Unclear mint. [...]
A copper alloy Roman nummus of the House of Constantine (AD307-361) dating to AD330-335 (Reece period 17). GLORIA EXERCITVS reverse type depicting two soldiers with two standards. Unclear mint. [...]
A copper alloy Roman nummus of the House of Constantine (AD307-361) dating to AD330-335 (Reece period 17). CONSTANTINOPOLIS reverse type depicting Victory on a prow. Unclear mint. [...]
