NW corner of Melandra Castle Roman fort, Derbyshire, England, UK, situated on a spur with a steep escarpment overlooking the River Etherow to W (L).
The NW corner of Melandra Castle Roman fort, Derbyshire, England, UK, situated on a spur with a steep escarpment overlooking the River Etherow to the W (L). Built around AD75 or 79, the earth & timber fort was placed in the border area between the British tribes of the Cornovii & the Brigantes. By AD108+ the original clay rampart had been reinforced with stone walls, central gateways & corner towers: the stone walls are masked by the accumulated earth banks. A defended civilian settlement outside the fort was in use from AD80 to AD140 when the fort was systematically dismantled: by then the area was considered peaceful enough not to require a garrison. The fort's name may have been Zerdotalia or Ardotalia, a British name meaning "a high point on the edge of a brow" or "the place of the high, dark [steep] hill". Etherow may also be an ancient British name. Celtic objects including stone heads have been recovered from the fort & the surrounding area where ancient folk customs continue, including the veneration of local water sources with flowers & greenery on May Day.
Size: 3711px × 4970px
Location: Melandra Castle Roman Fort, Gamesley, Glossop, Derbyshire, England, UK
Photo credit: © Mick Sharp / Alamy / Afripics
License: Licensed
Model Released: No
Keywords: 1st, ad, ad75, ad79, agricola, agricolan, ardotalia, bank, banks, brigantes, britain, british, c2ndad, castle, celtic, century, clay, corner, cornovii, derbyshire, dinting, early, earth, earthen, earthwork, emperor, england, escarpment, etherow, flavian, fort, gamesley, glossop, gnaeus, great, hadrian, high, hill, hollingworth, houses, julius, kingdom, landscape, location, longdendale, melandra, moorland, north, overlooking, peak, rampart, rebuilt, river, roman, spur, steep, stone, strategic, tower, trajan, tribes, uk, united, vale, village, wall, zerdotalia
