Public footpath to Wells Of Ythan - geograph

Ythan Wells, also known as Glenmailen, is the site of a Roman military camp, near the farm of Glenmellan, east of the village of Ythanwells in

Aberdeenshire Aberdeenshire (; ) is one of the 32 Subdivisions of Scotland#council areas of Scotland, council areas of Scotland. It takes its name from the Shires of Scotland, historic county of Aberdeenshire (historic), Aberdeenshire, which had substantial ...

Scotland Scotland is a Countries of the United Kingdom, country that is part of the United Kingdom. It contains nearly one-third of the United Kingdom's land area, consisting of the northern part of the island of Great Britain and more than 790 adjac ...

. The site is a designated

scheduled monument In the United Kingdom, a scheduled monument is a nationally important archaeological site or historic building, given protection against unauthorised change. The various pieces of legislation that legally protect heritage assets from damage, visu ...

. Traces of two marching camps have been found at the site. The larger camp, covering some was discovered in 1785 by Col. Alex Shand. A smaller camp, extending to and partially overlapping the area of the first, was discovered by J. K. St Joseph in 1968. This smaller camp predates the larger and has been dated to the campaigns of

Agricola Agricola, the Latin word for farmer, may also refer to: People Cognomen or given name :''In chronological order'' * Gnaeus Julius Agricola (40–93), Roman governor of Britannia (AD 77–85) * Sextus Calpurnius Agricola, Roman governor of the m ...

. The site is situated at the

headwaters The headwater of a river or stream is the geographical point of its beginning, specifically where surface runoff water begins to accumulate into a flowing channel of water. A river or stream into which one or many tributary rivers or streams flo ...

of the

River Ythan The Ythan is a river in the north-east of Scotland rising at Wells of Ythan near the village of Ythanwells and flowing south-eastwards through the towns of Fyvie, Methlick and Ellon, Aberdeenshire, Ellon before flowing into the North Sea near N ...

, where a series of natural springs supplies potable water, that was convenient for the large marching camp installed here by the Romans in the first few centuries AD. The Roman legions established a chain of very large forts at Ardoch, Strageath,

Inchtuthil Inchtuthil is the site of a Roman legionary fortress situated on a natural platform overlooking the north bank of the River Tay southwest of Blairgowrie, Perth and Kinross, Scotland (Roman Caledonia). It was built in AD 82 or 83 as the adva ...

Battledykes Battledykes is a Roman camp slightly to the north of Forfar, Scotland. According to Hector Boece, Pictish chiefs met at a castle A castle is a type of fortification, fortified structure built during the Middle Ages predominantly by the ...

Stracathro Stracathro () is a small place in Angus, Scotland. It was the site of a Roman camp, Roman marching camp as their forces invaded to the north. Location Stracathro is located southeast of Edzell in north-east Angus. It lies to the north-east of ...

and

Raedykes Raedykes is the site of a Roman marching camp located just over northwest of Stonehaven, Aberdeenshire, Scotland. National Grid Reference NO 842902. It is designated as a scheduled monument. A marching camp was a temporary camp used mainly fo ...

, taking the

Elsick Mounth The Elsick Mounth is an ancient trackway crossing the Grampian Mountains in the vicinity of Netherley, Scotland. This trackway was one of the few means of traversing the Grampian Mounth area in prehistoric and medieval times. The highest pass o ...

on the way to

Normandykes Normandykes (Grid Reference: NO 830994) is the site of a Roman marching camp to the southwest of Peterculter, City of Aberdeen, Scotland. The near-rectangular site, measuring approximately , covers about of the summit and eastern slopes of a ...

, thence proceeding to the northerly camps of Deers Den and Glenmailen.C. Michael Hogan, ''Elsick Mounth'', The Megalithic Portal, ed Andy Burnham (2007)
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National importance

Ythan Wells supports scholars' attempts to understand Roman camps, especially their construction, and how they were organized, used and designed. It also gives clues about how these changed their design over time. "And their distribution and relationship with each other and with other broadly contemporary monuments in the landscape. This monument can also inform our understanding of the daily lives of Roman soldiers and enhance knowledge of the impact of Roman campaigns on local Iron Age communities and the landscape. The monument at Ythan Wells is particularly valuable because it comprises two superimposed camps of different size and type, and because it is among the northernmost of the Roman camps in Scotland: Ythan Wells I appears to be one of a linear group of particularly large camps in NE Scotland. This camp is also important because part of the defences survive as an upstanding earthwork, indicating high potential for the preservation of important remains, including artefacts and ecofacts. Ythan Wells I was documented by antiquarians in the 18th century, which adds to the understanding of this camp. If this monument were to be lost or damaged, our understanding of Roman camps and our knowledge of Roman military structure and logistics would be significantly diminished."

National importance

References

See also