Cilurnum facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Cilurnum
Location in Northumberland
Attested by	Notitia Dignitatum
Place in the Roman world
Province	Britannia
Structure
— Stone structure —
Stationed military units
— Cohorts —
I Delmatarum, I Vangionum
— Alae —
I Augusta ?
Location
Coordinates	55°01′34″N 2°08′20″W / 55.026°N 2.139°W / 55.026; -2.139
County	Northumberland
Country	England
Reference
UK-OSNG reference	NY911701

Cilurnum (1964 OS map)

Fort, baths and vicus

Cilurnum Fort plan

Cilurnum baths

Cilurnum or Cilurvum was an ancient Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall. It was located at Chesters near the village of Walwick, in Northumberland, England. People sometimes call it Walwick Chesters. This helps to tell it apart from other nearby Roman sites.

Cilurnum is mentioned in an old Roman document called the Notitia Dignitatum. This document lists military units and their locations in the late Roman Empire.

Today, Cilurnum is thought to be the best-preserved example of a Roman cavalry fort along Hadrian's Wall. The site is now protected by English Heritage. It is known as Chesters Roman Fort. There is also a museum there. It shows items found at the fort and other places along the Wall.

The Roman Fort

Hadrian's Wall was built starting in 122 AD. The forts along the Wall were added a few years later. Cilurnum was first built as a fort for cavalry, which are soldiers who fight on horseback. Its walls stuck out north of the main Wall. Three of its main gates faced north. This allowed the cavalry to quickly ride out into the land beyond the Wall. Later, the fort was used by infantry, who are foot soldiers.

Excavations, which are archaeological digs, at Cilurnum helped experts learn about how Hadrian's Wall was built. They found that an early watchtower had been built where the fort now stands. A small part of the Wall was also built there. But then, the fort builders had to take down the watchtower. They also filled in a ditch that was part of the Wall's defenses. This showed that the new cavalry forts, like Cilurnum, were not just for defending the Wall. They were also used to launch quick attacks north into lands not controlled by the Romans.

A road from the fort's southern gate connected it to the Stanegate. This was an older Roman road. Two smaller gates on the sides allowed the Military Way to pass through the fort. The Military Way was a road built behind the Wall for soldiers and supplies. The fort's rampart walk was about 15 feet (4.5 meters) high. This matched the height of Hadrian's Wall. The gates and towers of the fort would have been over 9 meters (30 feet) tall.

The fort also protected Chesters Bridge. This bridge carried the Military Way across the River North Tyne. You can still see the huge stone supports of this ancient bridge today. Four large Roman columns are in the church of St Giles at Chollerton. This church is a few miles upstream from the fort. These columns are believed to have come from Cilurnum.

Who Lived Here?

Roman forts were home to different groups of soldiers. An old inscription found in 1978 tells us about the earliest soldiers here. It mentions a cavalry unit called ala Augusta ob virtutem appellata. This means "named Augusta because of its valour."

Later, other units were stationed at Cilurnum. These included the Cohors I Delmatarum. These soldiers came from a region that is now part of Bosnia-Herzegovina. The Cohors I Vangionum Milliaria Equitata also lived here. They were from the Upper Rhineland area in Germany.

Baths and Town

The fort's baths were located on the western bank of the River North Tyne. They were very close to the Roman bridge. Over the years, the baths were changed and repaired many times. They are considered some of the most impressive Roman baths along Hadrian's Wall. They are also one of the best-preserved examples in the entire Roman Empire.

Outside the fort's southern gate, there was a large town called a vicus. This was a civilian settlement. It grew up around the fort, probably starting around the 3rd century. The main street from the south gate curved gently to the west. Other smaller streets joined it. These streets were lined with buildings. Some of these buildings were quite complex, with many rooms and corridors. They might have been like townhouses.

Discovering the Past

In the early 1800s, a man named Nathaniel Clayton owned the land where the fort was. He moved tons of earth to cover the fort's remains. He wanted to create a smooth grassy parkland. But before he covered everything, he collected many Roman artifacts. He made sure these items were saved.

His son, John Clayton, inherited the estate in 1832. John was very interested in history and old things. He undid his father's landscaping work. He uncovered the fort and started digging up the ruins. He also created a small museum to display the things he found. John Clayton also bought and excavated other Roman sites. These included Housesteads Fort and the Mithraic Temple at Carrawburgh.

The Museum

The museum at Chesters was planned in 1895 and opened in 1903. It is a very important historical building. It was designed by a famous architect named Richard Norman Shaw. The museum displays many of the Roman items that John Clayton collected.

For many years, there wasn't a full-time curator for the collection. This changed in 1950 when Grace Simpson became the Honorary Curator. She spent a lot of time studying the collection. Later, the collection became the responsibility of English Heritage in 1983. Since then, there have been dedicated curators who look after the artifacts. They also help to make sure the museum is a great place for visitors to learn.

Gallery

• 

  View of the fort

• 

  The barracks where soldiers lived

• 

  The Roman baths

Sources

• Birley, Eric, Chesters Roman Fort Official Guide-book 1960
• Roman Britain
• Chesters Roman Fort and Museum - Hadrian's Wall - official site English Heritage
• 'Chesters Roman for: outpost of empire' on Google Arts & Culture

See also

In Spanish: Cilurnum para niños