Walwick Fell Roman temporary camp

Over 40 temporary camps of many different sizes, some of them still visible as earthworks, have been recorded in the vicinity of the Wall. These generally consisted of a rampart of earth quickly thrown up to surround a military encampment. The rampart may have been surmounted by a timber palisade. Occupation of these camps was generally short-lived and, while very few of these examples have been firmly dated, it seems probable that at least some were work camps used by troops involved in the Wall construction. Others may have been created as practice camps during military training; temporary camps were widely used during military campaigning to provide overnight security to troops on the move.

The Walwick Fell Roman temporary camp survives well as an upstanding monument. The rarity of temporary camps, and in particular examples with upstanding remains, identifies them as nationally important.

The monument includes the Roman temporary camp on Walwick Fell which lies 230m south west of Hadrian's Wall vallum. The camp survives well as a series of earthworks visible on the ground. The Walwick Fell camp is situated in the angle of the wall round the Walwick Fell Plantation, on the crest of a hill. The camp is square in plan and is orientated north east to south west. It has tightly rounded corners and measures 75m square across the interior and encloses an area of 0.5ha.

The camp is enclosed by an earthen rampart and outer ditch which are best preserved at the south end of the north west side. The rampart is 4m wide and stands 0.7m high above the interior. The ditch measures about 4m wide and 0.4m deep.

The four entrance causeways are still visible, one being placed centrally on each side of the camp. All but the north east gateway retain slight traces of an accompanying outwork. Later quarrying has taken place within the camp area and it is also partly overlaid by a boundary bank running NNE to SSW. This boundary bank is probably associated with the ridge and furrow on the slopes to the south.