Papcastle, Cumbria
10 January 1999

Papcastle, a small village outside Cockermouth in Cumbria, boasts a Roman fort, even though not much of it has been excavated. But when a local resident got in touch with Time Team about some substantial stonework he had dug out of his garden, it was the moment to look beyond the fort remains for evidence of the vicus – the settlement that would have grown up around it.

What Mick and the rest of the Team found was equally and satisfyingly substantial, but their discoveries may also change the way we look at one aspect of Roman Britain.

The prize find was a bronze mirror from the 1st or 2nd century, which was lying directly on a floor surface. It would have been highly polished on one side (with silver or tin), and may once have had a single handle. However, its large diameter – 17 cm (6.7 in) – suggested that it might have had two handles on the back so that it could be held up by a servant.

3D reconstruction of Papcastle by Steve Breeze.

Further reading

Hadrian's Wall in the Days of the Romans by Ronald Embleton and Frank Graham (Frank Graham, 1984) hardback £10.95
This book receives full marks for its vivid evocation of military and civilian life on a Roman frontier. Crammed full of inspired colour and black-and-white reconstructions, it proceeds along the wall from South Shields to Carlisle.

Hadrian's Wall: History and Guide by Guy de la Bédoyère (Tempus, 1998) paperback £9.99
This guidebook provides the perfect companion to an exploration of the wall. As well as providing details of each site and an overview of its social and military history, the author gives practical details of visible remains, their opening times and accessibility.

Life and Letters on the Roman Frontier by Alan K Bowman (British Museum Press, 1994) paperback £9.99
Many aspects of daily life on Hadrian's Wall have been revealed by the incredible stock of writing tablets found at Vindolanda. This compelling book discusses the context of the letters and reproduces 38 of them with translations, allowing us a glimpse of life on a frontier post in the 1st century AD.

Roman Forts in Britain by Paul Bidwell (English Heritage, 1997) paperback 15.99
A readable but detailed study of the legionary fortresses from the 2nd century AD onwards. The author, who has excavated all along Hadrian's Wall, discusses the function of forts, military buildings, supply systems, trade and everyday life.

Roman Forts in Britain by David Breeze (Shire, 1994, paperback £4.99)
A concise introduction to the Roman legionary fortress, with a select gazetteer of sites to visit.

Websites

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Time Team visits Papcastle, Cumbria 1998
http://freespace.virgin.net/r.buckingham/
It was his garden they dug up!

The Hechingen-Stein Roman villa
www.dhm.de/museen/stein/stein_e.html
This villa is in Germany, but this guided tour is the best I have yet seen – and it is very similar to villas in Roman Britain.

The Newstead Project
www.brad.ac.uk/acad/archsci/field_proj/newstead/
intrep93/intrep93.html
A Roman fort in Scotland.

Hadrian's Wall
www.ntb.org.uk/hadrian/
World heritage site of the Roman wall.

Roman Military sites in Britain
www.morgue.demon.co.uk/

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