Doncaster Roman Fort (Danum)

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Doncaster Roman Fort (Danum)

Danum (Doncaster) was one of the principal Roman auxiliary forts in northern Britain, established to guard the crossing of the River Don and to control movement along Ermine Street (the Roman Ridge). Its long occupation and multi-phase development reflect both strategic necessity and the evolving nature of Roman rule in South Yorkshire.

Location & Strategic Setting

Danum lies beneath modern Doncaster Minster (OS grid SE 569 931), at the intersection of Ermine Street and the River Don. Positioned on a gentle gravel terrace just above the river floodplain, it commanded both the major north–south road and the east–west route to Lincoln (roman-britain.co.uk).

Fort Phases & Layout

Flavian Timber Fort (c. AD 71–85): The earliest fort was laid out in timber on a rectangular plan (c. 160 × 135 m, ~2.1 ha), with turf-and-timber ramparts and a single external V-shaped ditch (roman-britain.co.uk).

Trajanic–Hadrianic Enlargement (c. AD 105–125): A second, larger timber fort (c. 175 × 150 m, ~2.6 ha) replaced the original, reflecting the need for more troops during campaigns into Caledonia. This phase introduced internal timber barracks, principia (headquarters) and granaries (heritagegateway.org.uk).

Antonine Stone Refurbishment (c. AD 150–170): Much of the fort was rebuilt in sandstone, including a 2 m-thick curtain wall, corner towers and gatehouses. The defensive ditch was re-cut and strengthened, indicating Danum’s continued importance into the mid-2nd century (roman-britain.co.uk).

Late Occupation (3rd–4th centuries): Evidence for structural repairs, rebuilding of internal timber buildings, and renewed defences shows occupation persisted—perhaps intermittently—until the early 5th century AD (heritagegateway.org.uk).

Garrison & Units

Tile stamps, tombstone inscriptions and military diplomas record units such as:

• Cohors IV Gallorum Equitata (the Fourth Cohort of Gauls, partially mounted) (researchframeworks.org).
• Ala I Tungrorum (First Wing of Tungrian cavalry) in the late 1st century.

These auxiliary troops were tasked with patrolling the Don corridor, escorting supply trains, and serving as a mobile strike force (roman-britain.co.uk).

Vicus & Civil Industry

Outside the eastern gate, a substantial vicus (civil settlement) developed, comprising:

• Timber houses and taverns lining the road trade route.
• Workshops producing iron nails, hobnails and coarse wares.
• A bath-house complex with a hypocaust and cold-water plunge, fed by local springs (doncaster.gov.uk).

Major Excavations & Finds

1870s–1880s Rotherham Society Trenches: Early trenches uncovered Hadrianic pottery, Samian ware and coins from Vespasian to Constantine—establishing the fort’s long usage (farndalefamily.co.uk).

1916–17 May Rescue Excavations: Detailed recording of rampart foundations and recovery of tile stamps stamped “IV GALL” plus tombstones (including that of Flavius Strabo and his wife Chloris) provided names and origins of soldiers and civilians (farndalefamily.co.uk).

1960s–1970s Inner Ring Road Works: A Danum shield, found in a bonfire layer dated c. AD 85, now resides in Doncaster Museum; its stratigraphy shed light on a controlled abandonment and rapid rebuilding of the fort (en.wikipedia.org).

2000s Geophysics & Watching Briefs: Magnetometry ahead of site redevelopment mapped buried stone wall lines, gates and vicus streets; watching briefs recorded reused masonry in later medieval cellars (researchframeworks.org).

Legacy & Public Interpretation

Doncaster Museum & Art Gallery holds most of the key artifacts—tile stamps, tombstones, the restored Danum shield and vicus ceramics.

Footprints in the Urban Plan: The Roman street grid survives in the layout around St George’s Minster, where the fort’s principia once stood.

Heritage Trail: Information panels along North Bridge Road and around the Minster outline Danum’s phases, making the Roman past visible within the modern cityscape.