This information board is one of several at Metchley Roman Fort which is located between what today is the University of Birmingham and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital.
At the top of the Board is the title 'Metchely Roman Fort' below this on the left-hand side is the following text:
'You are standing on the line of one of the main Roman streets inside the Roman fort known as the via decumana. Metchley was a significant place nearly 2000 years ago and the modern plaza has been designed to reflect this important part of Birmingham's heritage.'
Below this text is a drawing of what life might have been like inside the fort when it was occupied by the Romans.
Below the drawing is the following text:
'This street led from the north gate of the fort to the headquarters building. This part of the fort was known as the retentura and on either side of the street there would have been barrack blocks to accommodate soldiers and thier horses.Thes would have been single storey timber buildings with wooden roofs. One barrack block would have contained an infantry century of 80 men with more spacious accommodation at one end for the centurion. Between this board and the car park, in the middle of the former fort, lay the headquarters building (or principia) where the miliatary administration took place. There would also have been a spacious house for the commanding officer(praetorium) and this is alos where the granaries would have been located. Beyond the central range the front part of the fort (the praetentura) would have contained further barracks and store buildings.
Outside of the fort there were a series of defended enclosures. Few buildings have been found in these areas and they were probably used for tethering horses, storing supplies and small scale industrial activities. These was also a civilian settlement outside the fort which would probably have included shops. Perhaps the families of the troops lived here?'
On the right-hand side of the baord are two groups of photograph showing objects found during the excavation of the site and at the base of this side of the board is a plan of the site.
The top group of photographs is described as follows:
'Artefacts recovered from the site include part of bone object, probably a brooch with a carved eagle part of a bone pin and an intaglio (a carved gemstone).'
The lower group of photographs is describe as follows:
'Red glossed Samain ware (made in Gaul - now France), the stamped handle of an amphorae (an olive oil container, such as the ones depicted on the veranda of the resonstruction drawing), a small flagon (such as the one depicted in the street outside the baracks); all found in Midlands and similar to pottery found within the fort.'
At the foot of the board is the following text:
'Four further information board cand be foumd along the path towards and beyond the station. These boards include additional details on the history of Metchley Roman Fort. If you would like to learn more about the fort and other sites of archaelogical interst in Birmingham please visit:
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The Roman forts at Metchley are believed to form the only Roman fort site in Birmingham. Its location was between what is now the University of Birmingham and the Queen Elizabeth Hospital. The forts on the site were defended by earthworks and constructed of timber. The site is on a Roman road which later was known as Icknield (or Ryknild) Street. The forts were occupied by both soldiers and civilians at various times between circa AD 40 and circa AD 200.
Part of the reconstructed earthworks can be seen in the grounds of the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and there are a number of information boards about the Fort along the pathway from the University to the Hospital.
Source: Historic England: Birmingham: Unique Images from the Archives of Historic England by Andrew Homer (ISBN 9781445691145)
The Roman forts at Metchley are listed by Historic England as a Scheduled Monument (No. 1020977) (
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A very good pamphlet can be downloaded from Birmingham City Council website at the following link.
‘The site of a Roman campaign fort excavated in 1934-6, 1954 and during the 1960s and 1990s. These investigations have identified four main phases of Roman activity on the site. The earliest fort was constructed circa AD 40 and was defended by double ditches and a rampart. Within these defences, the structures uncovered include a pair of barrack blocks, part of a granary and a workshop and store. The second phase involved the addition of ditched annexes on the northern and eastern sides of the fort and the clearance of the interior buildings, which were replaced by temporary timber framed structures. It is thought the fort served as a stores depot during this phase. Following a period of abandonment, a smaller fort was constructed within the earlier defences. This fort was enclosed within a ditch and rampart and its interior buildings included a small granary and a cookhouse. The fort was abandoned again circa AD 75 but evidence suggests sporadic occupation continuing until about AD 120. Excavations undertaken between 1999-2001 have identified a vicus to the west of the fort. The remains include timber framed buildings, hearths, ovens and trackways. Fieldwalking, test pits and excavation have also revealed three Bronze Age burnt mounds and road surfaces within the fort.’
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‘Reason for Designation
Roman forts served as permanent bases for auxiliary units of the Roman Army. In outline they were straight sided rectangular enclosures with rounded corners, defined by a single rampart of turf, puddled clay or earth with one or more outer ditches. Some forts had separately defended, subsidiary enclosures or annexes, allowing additional storage space or for the accommodation of troops and convoys in transit. Although built and used throughout the Roman period, the majority of forts were constructed between the mid-first and mid-second centuries AD. Some were only used for short periods of time but others were occupied for extended periods on a more or less permanent basis. In the earlier forts, timber was used for gateways, towers and breastworks. From the beginning of the second century AD there was a gradual replacement of timber with stone. Roman forts are rare nationally and are extremely rare south of the Severn Trent line. As one of a small group of Roman military monuments, which are important in representing army strategy and therefore government policy, forts are of particular significance to our understanding of the period. All Roman forts with surviving archaeological potential are considered to be nationally important.
The Roman fort at Metchley survives well despite later developments. Excavations have demonstrated a high level of preservation of both structural, artefactual and environmental deposits relating to an almost continual occupation of the Roman site over some 150 years. In addition, the excavations have demonstrated survival of archaeological evidence for its earliest phases providing the plan of an unusual, early Claudian fort. Evidence for several phases of internal building demonstrates changes in the composition of the garrison and the function of the fort, as well as providing information for non-standard structures which will contain evidence on the less well understood aspects of Roman military development. Artefacts and pottery from the site demonstrate extensive use of both imported and locally sourced pottery, with little trade from elsewhere in Britain, the exception being quern stones from the site, which derived from deposits in Derbyshire, Staffordshire and the Pennines. Environmental deposits preserved within the ditches demonstrated an excellent level of survival and included the remains of seeds, pollen and insects which provide information on the environment in the Roman period. For example, there is evidence for the early clearance of nearby woodland and its later regrowth during the last phase of Roman occupation. Large areas of similar undisturbed deposits are believed to survive over a wider area of the fort and these would provide further information relating to the use and development of the fort and to the activities of its occupants over a period which saw significant changes in Roman Britain.
Details
The monument includes the known surviving extent of the buried and earthwork remains of Metchley Roman fort in Birmingham, which lies within five separate areas of protection. Located upon a gently sloping plateau of sands and gravels surrounded by boulder clay and oriented north west to south east, the fort dominated low lying ground upon three sides, with rising ground to the north west. The standing remains include the partially reconstructed north western corner of the first century fort's northern annexe defences. The remainder of the fort survives as buried features identified by a number of archaeological excavations. These confirmed the substantial survival of buried archaeological remains including a number of structures, with associated artefacts and environmental deposits.
Historic maps, the earliest dating from 1718, show the fort surviving as a series of earthworks until 1917. Excavations in 1934-6 by St Joseph and Shotton, in 1954 by Webster and again in the 1960s and 1990s identified four main phases of Roman activity. The earliest fort was constructed around AD 40 and was approximately 200 sq m, defended by double ditches and a turf revetted rampart. Excavation within the interior of the fort provided evidence for a pair of facing barrack blocks, part of a granary, a workshop and store. The garrison at this time is believed to have included about 1000 men. The second phase of Roman activity involved the addition of ditched annexes on the northern and eastern sides of the fort and the deliberate clearance of the earlier interior structures. This was immediately followed by the construction of temporary, irregularly shaped timber-framed buildings including a store, a stable or groom's quarters and some associated fenced compounds. It is believed that the garrison was substantially reduced and the fort acted as a stores depot during this period.
Following a period of abandonment, a smaller fort, enclosing approximately 2.6ha, was built within the site of the earlier, first and second phase defences, these were recut to provide extra protection. This small fort was defended by a ditch and turf rampart, which was later reconstructed in timber. Interior buildings associated with the smaller fort included a small granary and cookhouse. The fort was abandoned around AD 75. There is evidence of some later Roman activity continuing until approximately AD 120, including evidence for re-cutting of the earlier fort ditches and other military style ditches dug on different alignments. This latest phase of activity is believed to represent a more sporadic military occupation of the site, which may also have involved the layout of practice camps.
Excavations carried out between 1999 to 2001 have identified a `vicus' or civilian settlement, including timber-framed buildings, hearths, ovens and trackways, extending over an area measuring up to 1ha lying to the west of the fort. The vicus is not included in the scheduling.
All modern surfaces, benches, paths and street furniture are excluded from the scheduling, although the ground beneath these features is included.’ (
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