The Lunt Roman Fort is the archaeological site of a Roman fort, of unknown name, in the

Roman province The Roman provinces (, pl. ) were the administrative regions of Ancient Rome outside Roman Italy that were controlled by the Romans under the Roman Republic and later the Roman Empire. Each province was ruled by a Roman appointed as Roman g ...

Britannia The image of Britannia () is the national personification of United Kingdom, Britain as a helmeted female warrior holding a trident and shield. An image first used by the Romans in classical antiquity, the Latin was the name variously appli ...

. It is open to the public and located in the village of Baginton on the south eastern outskirts of

Coventry Coventry ( or rarely ) is a City status in the United Kingdom, cathedral city and metropolitan borough in the West Midlands (county), West Midlands county, in England, on the River Sherbourne. Coventry had been a large settlement for centurie ...

. The fort has now been fully excavated and partially reconstructed; the wooden gateway rebuild was led by archaeologist Margaret Rylatt, using the same tools and techniques that the military engineers of the Roman Army would have used. In 2001, Anglo Saxon artefacts dating to

Sub-Roman Britain Sub-Roman Britain, also called post-Roman Britain or Dark Age Britain, is the period of late antiquity in Great Britain between the end of Roman rule and the founding of Anglo-Saxon kingdoms. The term was originally used to describe archae ...

were discovered on the site.

Location

The site has a large steep bank just beyond the northern boundary of the fort, which descends to the River Sowe. The elevation from the top of the bank provides good views of the landscape to the north for two or three miles ()

History

Four periods of occupation of the fort during periods of unrest in Roman Britain have been identified by excavation.The Lunt Roman Fort: Period 4 https://www.ourwarwickshire.org.uk/content/catalogue_her/the-lunt-roman-fort-period-4 The fort was built around AD 60 to act as a supply depot and headquarters for an unknown legion during the final campaign against

Boudica Boudica or Boudicca (, from Brittonic languages, Brythonic * 'victory, win' + * 'having' suffix, i.e. 'Victorious Woman', known in Latin chronicles as Boadicea or Boudicea, and in Welsh language, Welsh as , ) was a queen of the Iceni, ancient ...

. Coventry Telegraph, ''Romans in action at Lunt Fort'', 3 July 2009 From AD 64 it was used, in the second phase, by a cohort which reduced the size of the fort, but from which the '' principia'', ''

praetorium The Latin term ''praetorium'' (also and ) originally identified the tent of a general within a Roman '' castrum'' (encampment), and derived from the title praetor, which identified a Roman magistrate.Smith, William. Dictionary of Greek and Roma ...

'', two granaries and six barrack blocks have been excavated. A number of buildings were demolished to construct a gyrus. Many horse fittings, possible stabling, an extensive metalworking area, granary and storage space suggests a cavalry unit was present at this time. This second phase lasted until AD 77/8. The third period of AD 77/78-79 included construction of a double ditch system, a twin-portalled gateway on the south and occupation outside the defences until the fort was decommissioned. After AD 260, perhaps during the rebel Gallic Empire, it was recommissioned as a temporary fort with ditches on a similar alignment but slightly larger than that of Period 2. This is based on the discovery of a single coin found in the post hole of a gateway at the site of the fort that dates to the reign of Gallienus (''r.'' 260–268), but the coin could have been a casual loss long after the fort had been abandoned.

Gyrus

The north, south and west sides followed the usual pattern for a

Roman camp ''Castra'' () is a Latin language, Latin term used during the Roman Republic and Roman Empire for a military 'camp', and ''castrum'' () for a 'Fortification, fort'. Either could refer to a building or plot of land, used as a fortified milita ...

of straight ditches and ramparts. However, on the eastern side the defences bulge out around a circular structure with a diameter of , enclosing an area of . The sand and gravel subsoil had been dug out to a depth of and the area surrounded with a timber stockade. This ring, the only known "gyrus" in the

Roman Empire The Roman Empire ruled the Mediterranean and much of Europe, Western Asia and North Africa. The Roman people, Romans conquered most of this during the Roman Republic, Republic, and it was ruled by emperors following Octavian's assumption of ...

, may have been used for training horses, possibly by means of lungeing (training the horse in a circular training ground on the end of a long rein). The same training methods were used in by the

United States Cavalry The United States Cavalry, or U.S. Cavalry, was the designation of the mounted force of the United States Army. The United States Cavalry was formally created by an act of United States Congress, Congress on 3 August 1861 and ceased as a dist ...

at the similarly circular 'Bullring' in Jefferson Barracks Military Post in the 19th century. The gyrus was added to the fort during its second period of occupation and its construction caused significant disruption to the fort. Having the gyrus within the fort affects not just the wall which curves to accommodate the structure deviating from the Roman playing card shape pattern but also the layout of the fort which is significantly different from the standard layout. This makes the fort unique not just in Britain but also in the Roman Empire.

Archaeology and preservation

The site was identified when large quantities of Roman pottery were found in the 1930s. In the 1960s, Brian Hobley, keeper of field archaeology at the Coventry Museum, commenced a long-term project to combine excavation with a study of the methods by which Roman camps were built. Archaeological excavations identified three distinct periods of occupation of the Roman military site.

The Times ''The Times'' is a British Newspaper#Daily, daily Newspaper#National, national newspaper based in London. It began in 1785 under the title ''The Daily Universal Register'', adopting its modern name on 1 January 1788. ''The Times'' and its si ...

, ''Army helps to rebuild Roman fort'' 23 October 1970 During the 1970s some features of the fort were reconstructed upon the original foundations: these are a section of the wall, a gateway modelled on images of Trajan's column, one of the three granaries and the gyrus. In 2001 a team of Canadian students unearthed a fragment of Roman Samian pottery and a Nero's head coin dating from 65 AD. Other finds have included a ring etched with a palm leaf. This type of design symbolized victory and was worn by successful gladiators.Goulden, Barbara. ''Ancient find at the Lunt hints of Roman games'', ''Coventry Telegraph'', 3 May 2007 Evidence of Saxon settlement was unearthed in 2001 and finds evidencing mediaeval occupation include large post holes and a post-Roman ditch filled with pottery fragments. The fort is open for public, school visits and organised tours and has hosted many holiday excavation trips.Goulden, Barbara ''Dig reveals life after the Romans'' ''Coventry Telegraph'', 20 August 2001

References

*Brian Hobley, BA. FSA. M.St. (Oxon) Excavator (1969) 'A Neronian-Vespasianic Military Site at The Lunt Baginton, Warwickshire' (Trans. B'ham & Wars.Archaeological Society.Vol.83 (1969) *(1972) 'Excavations at The Lunt Roman Military Site Baginton, Warwickshire' 1968–71.' ( Trans. B'ham & Wars.Archaeological Society. Vol.85 (1972) *(1974) 'The Lunt Roman Fort & Training School for Roman Cavalry, Baginton, Warwickshire. Excavations 1972–73' Trans. B'ham & Wars. Archaeological Society Vol.86

External links

*
Roman-Britain
{{authority control Buildings and structures in Warwickshire History of Warwickshire Military history of Warwickshire Roman fortifications in England Museums in Warwickshire Museums of ancient Rome in the United Kingdom Open-air museums in England Military and war museums in England History museums in Warwickshire Roman legionary fortresses in England Scheduled monuments in Warwickshire