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Site Details
AdwickāleāStreetās Roman Fort (Derventio)
Derventio was an auxiliary fort, it probably housed a mounted ala or an infantry cohort. It is located immediately west of modern Adwick le Street (OS SE 553 008), astride Ermine Street (the Roman Ridge).
Permanent construction: Like the other frontier forts along the Don Valley, it was planned and laid out from the outset as a stoneāfaced, clayābacked rampart enclosure with internal timber barracks, principia and granaries.
What we know of Derventio (AdwickāleāStreet)
Size & Plan: Approximately 125āĆā170 m internally (ca. 2 ha), with stone ramparts 2ā3 m thick and external ditches .
Garrison: Tile stamps and inscriptions point to units such as Numerus Barcariorum Tigrisiensium (boatmen) and a cavalry vexillationāall auxiliary troops tasked with patrolling the Don valley waterways .
Vicus & Industry: Excavations at Redhouse Farm revealed a civilian settlement of timber workshops, smithies and taverns lining the road.
AdwickāleāStreet (Derventio) was a purposeābuilt auxiliary fort, established c. AD 70ā80.
The Roman Ridge (Ermine Street) running right through the centre of Adwick le Street.
Redhouse Farm excavations (2000ā17 by MOLA) immediately west of Adwick revealed traces of Bronze-Age and Iron-Age activity, and Roman roadside occupationāpostholes, pottery scatters, workshop debrisāassociated with the major north-south trunk road, but no barrack blocks or rampart circuits indicative of a fort (archaeopress.com).
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Adwick sits on the Roman Ridge, and lies between the river-crossing forts of Templeborough to the west and Danum to the south-east.
The roadside settlement at Adwick likely served as a staging post or minor vicus for traffic and trade, not as a permanent military base.
What You See Today
Roman Ridge (Ermine Street): The line of the old road is still visible as the modern A638 through Adwick le Street, with scheduled-monument status (SM1179a/b) (heritagegatway.org.uk).
Redhouse Farm area: While no fort survives, MOLAās 17-year programme recorded settlement pits, structural post-holes and a few Roman sherdsāevidence for a modest civilian occupation tethered to the road, but without the defensive earthworks of a fort (archaeopress.com).
