Or to give it the official Roman title, Isurium Brigantum. It is now better know as the Aldborough Roman Site, Boroughbridge, North Yorkshire, and is the care of English Heritage. It is supposed that it was ‘capital’ of the Romanised Brigantes, the largest tribe in Britain, and was originally the site of a 1st century Roman fort at the crossing of Dere Street, the Roman Road running north out of Eboracum (an early name for York) over the River Ure.
Nothing can be certain, but archaeological finds suggest that the Ninth Legion were active in the area. By the second century, it appears to have acquired an importance, judging by the fact that it was deemed to be the capital of the Brigantes tribe. Progress continued apace over the next hundred or so years, and mosaic remains suggest buildings of substance and importance, often homes built by important Roman personnel. The fourth century brought uncertainty throughout Europe, and despite the likelihood of bastions being erected at about this time, the area’s prosperity slowed.
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| The new site is under English Heritage care. |
Once Roman rule ended, the area was consumed by the Anglo Saxons, although geomagnetic scanning in 2011 revealed the remains of an amphitheatre, which suggests that it could have been a Roman town of some size.
English Heritage cares for the site these days, and there is one corner of the defences laid out in a Victorian arboretum, while two mosaic pavements can be viewed in their original positions. The site’s fascinating museum has an outstanding collection of Roman finds.
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