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462:, roughly in AD 48. The fort was around 200 square metres (2,153 sq ft) in area and was defended by a turf and earth bank with a timber wall, towers and double ditches. Within the fort were timber buildings including barrack blocks, a granary, a workshop and a store. In AD 60 or 61, Metchley Fort may have been involved in the
466:, and in AD 70, the fort was abandoned, only to be reoccupied around AD 90, when another fort, half the size of the original, was built on the same site, before being abandoned again in AD 120. It would have then likely been in sporadic use as a training camp up until its complete abandonment by
504:
The fort was extended on three sides by the addition of defended annexes, which were used for tethering horses, storage and small-scale industrial activity such as ironworking. Later, the fort's buildings were replaced by other structures including compounds which suggest that it was now being used
567:, G. H. W. Griffith, opened the newly restored north-west corner of the fort. The reconstruction of the corner did not last long, however, as it was later destroyed by vandals before 1956. More extensive excavations took place in the 1960s which uncovered various timber buildings within the fort.
687:
View of the site of
Metchley Fort from the approximate centre of the fort, pictured in 2019. The position of a Roman street through the fort has been marked by the two lines of yellow bricks in the pavement. This street ran between the north-west gate and the south-east
605:
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575:, worked on the Metchley excavations in the late 1960s. Discoveries from excavations in the early 2000s included ovens and hearths, timber gateways, roads, the headquarters building, vessels from the
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alongside the fort. It consisted of timber buildings and yards alongside a road leading from the fort's west gate, and was occupied for just a few years, when the fort was at its largest.
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in origin. The fort was confirmed to date to the 1st and 2nd century AD in excavations that took place in the 1930s, starting in 1934, when the
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Site of the north-western gate and the main street entering the fort; from the first fort, constructed circa AD 48 and pictured here in 2023
555:), although there were conflicting opinions on the origins of the earthworks - the common consensus at the time agreed that the fort was
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532:. It was eventually demolished around 1781 when the earthworks of the fort were first identified.
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was constructed. Further excavations took place in the 1940s and 1950s. On 28 September 1953 the
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was present on the site of
Metchley Fort as early as the 16th century, likely near the
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Demolished buildings and structures in the West
Midlands (county)
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Remains have also been found of a civilian settlement, or
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Former populated places in the West
Midlands (county)
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Buildings and structures in
Birmingham, West Midlands
497:. The footbridge over the railway is now the site of
551:(he published his findings on Metchley Fort in his
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766:"Birmingham's Roman Fort (Metchley) Main Findings"
629:, a rear road into the fort, pictured here in 2023
571:, who later became well-known on the TV programme
489:The remains of Metchley Fort as shown on the 1890
873:Scheduled monuments in the West Midlands (county)
547:The remains were first identified around 1781 by
810:The History of Greater Birmingham - down to 1830
8:
590:The remains of the fort are one of thirteen
454:. The fort was constructed on the orders of
831:"Birmingham's Scheduled Ancient Monuments"
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833:. Birmingham City Council. Archived from
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768:. Birmingham City Council. Archived from
715:. Birmingham City Council. Archived from
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561:University of Birmingham Medical School
442:, which is now the site of the present
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713:"Birmingham's Roman Fort (Metchley)"
675:of the fort, pictured here in 2023
509:Post-medieval era (16th century –
354:Earthworks, crop marks and ditches
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592:Scheduled monuments in Birmingham
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868:Roman fortifications in England
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647:of the fort, overlooking the
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795:PDF Leaflet on Metchley Fort
536:Discovery and excavations (
434:It lies on the course of a
68:Founded during the reign of
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499:University railway station
460:Roman invasion of Britain
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168:Built during the reign of
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141:Built during the reign of
136:— Second fort structure —
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25:
812:, 1987, V. H. T. Skipp (
565:Lord Mayor of Birmingham
456:Publius Ostorius Scapula
448:University of Birmingham
444:Queen Elizabeth Hospital
214:Legio XX Valeria Victrix
195:Stationed military units
104:Place in the Roman world
657:, pictured here in 2023
36:, pictured here in 2009
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739:"Metchley Roman Fort"
583:, and tableware from
553:History of Birmingham
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121:Directly connected to
163:— Timber structure —
505:as a stores depot.
259: /
741:. Historic England
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363:Scheduled Monument
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263:52.4504°N 1.938°W
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458:soon after the
440:Icknield Street
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399:in what is now
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471: AD 200
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359:Controlled by
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21:Metchley Fort
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839:. Retrieved
835:the original
825:
809:
806:Victor Skipp
801:
774:. Retrieved
770:the original
743:. Retrieved
733:
721:. Retrieved
717:the original
670:
669:Site of the
648:
642:
641:Site of the
626:via decumana
624:
589:
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495:Warwickshire
477:
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433:
421: AD 48
389:
388:
373:1934-present
365:(SAM: CD129)
185: AD 48
85: AD 48
33:
15:
672:praetentura
541: 1781
514: 1781
416:Roman era (
345: 1781
266: /
241:Coordinates
34:praetentura
857:Categories
694:References
623:Site of a
569:Mick Aston
543:– present)
436:Roman road
401:Birmingham
382:Mick Aston
333:Site notes
293:Birmingham
279:Place name
251:52°27′01″N
230:(possibly)
883:Edgbaston
644:retentura
573:Time Team
526:retentura
452:Edgbaston
351:Condition
325:reference
317:Reference
254:1°56′17″W
131:Structure
115:Britannia
91:Abandoned
579:and the
446:and the
328:SN643564
283:Metchley
235:Location
172:Claudius
145:Domitian
110:Province
72:Claudius
745:7 April
598:Gallery
493:map of
411:History
405:England
323:UK-OSNG
312:England
309:Country
202:Legions
78:Founded
841:25 May
816:
776:25 May
723:24 May
585:France
392:was a
299:County
224:Events
688:gate.
655:ditch
650:vicus
557:Norse
479:vicus
394:Roman
178:Built
154:AD 90
151:Built
843:2008
814:ISBN
778:2008
747:2017
725:2008
653:and
528:and
397:fort
289:Town
212:and
450:in
859::
808:,
786:^
755:^
702:^
594:.
587:.
538:c.
520:A
511:c.
473:.
468:c.
438:,
425:c.
423:–
418:c.
403:,
342:c.
200:—
182:c.
95:c.
82:c.
845:.
820:)
793:*
780:.
749:.
727:.
516:)
430:)
204:—
Text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License. Additional terms may apply.
