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Walton-le-Dale lies at the confluence of the rivers Ribble and Darwen on a tidal estuary opening onto the Irish Sea. The Ribble is easily navigable to this point providing good seaward access and the site is adjacent to an early crossing point of the river, astride the main Roman route to western Scotland (running along the junction of the Lancashire coastal plain and the Pennine foothills); the Ribble valley also provides access via the Calder and Aire valleys along a trans-Pennine road to York. Walton-le-Dale therefore sits at the nexus of a number of main transport arteries and occupies a major strategic position in the Roman military landscape of North West England.
The site has been severely truncated by post-Roman river action and its full original extent cannot now be calculated. Nevertheless, evidence of Roman activity survives over a considerable area and trial trenching (1947-60 by Livesey and Pickering) and more extensive area excavations (1980-3 by the Cumbria and Lancashire Archaeological Unit and 1996-7 by the Lancaster University Archaeological Unit and Gifford and Partners Ltd) have revealed a complex and significant site. There is no direct evidence for a conventional Roman fort and associated extra-mural settlement at Walton-le-Dale, although there is clearly a very strong Roman military influence which characterises the layout, function and nature of the structures and associated features, as well as the finds assemblages. Evidence for continuous, systematic and large-scale production from the Hadrianic to the late Antonine period indicates some form of ‘industrial’ activity presumably associated with the military. During the late second/early third centuries AD the primary function of the site changed (to storage?), although the alignment and layout of the later structures remains remarkably consistent with that of earlier phases. The particular and repeated combination of features revealed at Walton-le-Dale is atypical of the known range of Roman sites in the north-west and there a few convincing parallels in Britain or the Continent. The character of the complex, together with its favourable transport links by land, river and sea suggests a supply depot involved in the production, storage and movement of goods (presumably for the military) in use from the first half of the second to the mid- third century AD.
The Roman occupation of north-west England has been the subject of considerable research interest since the days of the early antiquaries. The nature and chronology of the military occupation of the region has been studied for many years and important contributions have been made to this topic by Collingwood, Richmond, Birley and Charlesworth (amongst others). In addition to purely military sites, attention in northern England has also focused in past decades on the archaeology of the indigenous and mainly rural population (Jones, Potter and others) and especially on the impact (social and economic) on that population of the Roman army. More recently, work has concentrated on the extra-mural settlements located outside most northern forts and sometimes regarded as proto-urban civil centres. Although much is known of the military infrastructure of the region west of the Pennines, between Chester and Hadrian’s Wall, non-fort sites have not been subjected to the same scale and intensity of research and investigation. Much less is therefore known of the status, role, function, economy, or demography of such sites and the nature of their relationship with the military.
Little is known of the functional detail of Roman military supply networks and there is very limited archaeological evidence for the economic infrastructure necessary to support the various activities of the Roman army, not just in northern England, but throughout the province and on the Continent. The results of the excavations at Walton-le-Dale demonstrate the national and international significance of the site and its potential to contribute to a very little researched body of knowledge. It is essential that the results of the two separate excavation campaigns are assimilated and integrated (where appropriate and practicable) and published together, so that the site can be properly set in its local and regional context. This will allow fuller comparison with Wilderspool (with which it shares a number of common characteristics), with the supply depots at Red House, Corbridge and South Shields and with similar sites on the Continent. It will also inform research into the nature and understanding of the role of Roman organised industrial sites in Britain and the Western Empire.
Between July 1981 and March 1983, an area of c. 1,350 square metres was excavated in four separate seasons at the site known locally as the ‘Plump’ in advance of proposed widespread industrial development at Walton-le-Dale. Work was carried out by the Cumbria and Lancashire Archaeological Unit (now the Lancaster University Archaeological Unit), funded by the Department of the Environment (now English Heritage). This portion of the site lay to the north of Winery Lane and had been characterised by Pickering (in the course of trial trenching) as a relatively low-grade civil settlement represented by crude wattle and daub buildings or cobbled foundations. No such site in Lancashire had previously been subjected to systematic and extensive excavation and it was considered important, faced with the planned destruction of the entire complex (north and south of Winery Lane), to realise its full potential through a detailed recording exercise in order to achieve a more confident identification and interpretation of its character and function than had hitherto been possible. Although the post-excavation analysis of the results of this work was completed some time ago, the preparation of a final text for publication has now been long delayed due to a number of external factors beyond the control of the LUAU and the individual contributors.
Between September 1996 and March 1997, an area of c4,500 square metres was excavated by a Gifford and Partners Ltd and the Lancaster University Archaeological Unit, commissioned by Pentith Developments on behalf of the Royal London Mutual Assurance Society Ltd, as a part of Scheduled Monument Consent, in advance of the continuing development of the general area as an out of town shopping complex. Although this part of the site had also originally been characterised by Pickering as a low-grade domestic settlement, its archaeological potential and real significance as a (probable) military supply depot had already been established by the earlier campaign of work together with more recent site assessment and was reflected in its enhanced status as a Scheduled Ancient Monument. The developer funded post-excavation analysis and publication of this work is scheduled for a period of c.15 months, with publication due at Easter/summer 1999.
Despite the gap in time between the two main campaigns of excavation and despite the different methodologies employed, the results of both phases of work are gratifyingly consistent and demonstrate an extremely complex sequence of activity for which there are very few parallels in England or on the Continent. The results confirm the outstanding significance of the site for our understanding of the Roman military infrastructure during the second and third centuries AD.
Although there is a complex post-Roman sequence which includes episodes of natural erosion and truncation as well other activity, the site is relatively well preserved and in places up to two metres of stratified archaeological deposits survive. A large number of Mesolithic and Neolithic flints (implements and waste flakes) and a few fragments of coarse Bronze Age pottery demonstrate the advantages of this favourable location to prehistoric man over a considerable time span. Numismatic evidence suggests a first early Roman presence at Walton-le-Dale during the middle years of the first century AD and although this can readily be placed in a contemporary political context, no structures or other features of this early date were recorded. A number of parallel ridges and furrows in the subsoil, undated, but sealed by Roman levels, may represent traces of later prehistoric agricultural activity, associated with large rectilinear ditched enclosures. Equally these features could belong to the first recorded phase of Roman construction (during the early second century AD) represented by a substantial road flanked by a well-organised and systematically laid out complex of large timber buildings (post in trench construction), at least two, possibly three or more rows deep. These buildings were generally uniform in size but exhibited variations in plan and internal arrangements. Each building was associated with industrial features (fire boxes/hearths or pits), as well as a series of ditches, at least one of which developed into a means of water storage and was linked to a reservoir. Many elements of this phase were remodelled during its use. The same process (involving a combination of heat and water) is repeated in each building and these structures are interpreted as industrial units. Much of the open space between the buildings and between the road and buildings, was metalled and the number of structures and the regular layout of the site suggests industrial activity on a relatively large scale.
During the later Hadrianic period, the site was completely reconstructed with only slight adjustments, following the same general pattern and layout. Individual structures were larger and of a slightly different plan, but all contained industrial features similar to those in use during the earlier phase (although all the water was now supplied from wells). The industrial function of the site (and the processes employed) clearly remained the same throughout the early and mid-Antonine periods. During the mid-Antonine period, the buildings were reconstructed once more although the general character and function of the site remained very consistent despite some minor variations in form and the additional use of insubstantial post-hole structures. In spite of a very complex structural sequence, this part of the (presumably much more extensive) complex at Walton-le-Dale remained in continuous use as a production centre (devoted almost exclusively to a single and specific process) from its foundation in the Hadrianic period until the end of the second century AD.
At the end of the second century AD, the workshops were again replaced, but by substantial rectangular post-hole structures, still conforming to the same site layout, fronting onto the main road. North of Winery Lane (1981-3 excavations), there was little evidence of any industrial activity associated with these buildings, although to the south (1996-7 excavations) a number of features including hearths, wells, possible tanning pits and latrine and rubbish pits were recorded that may belong to this phase, perhaps suggesting less specialised activity in this zone of the site. Certainly the change in building type may indicate a change in function, from an industrial works depot involved in the large scale production of goods during most of the second century, to a possible storage facility, used during the early and mid-third centuries AD.
The presence of a deep silt-filled watercourse running through the centre of the site associated with a deep set wooden drain hints at some type of river bank structure, possibly wharfage. This would allow both cargo handling and general services such as the repair and refurbishment of ships and reinforces the significance of the site’s geographic position and the importance of the relationship between its location and function. The prolonged use of the main road and the consistent alignment of all the buildings suggests a general continuity from the early second century to the mid-third century AD. This continuity is ascribed to the essentially military nature of the site, an interpretation supported by the obviously regulated layout and controlled rebuilding of the large structures, which implies that the site was under centralised (military) control. The nature of the finds assemblage from both sites is also typical of military sites occupied in northern Britain during the second and third centuries AD. The high element of casual wealth in the coinage and a high percentage of imported samian ware and amphorae reflects a military source, although few artefacts have obvious and direct military origins.
There is some evidence from both excavations of continued occupation of the site during the late third and early fourth centuries, but generally the upper levels were degraded by episodes of flooding, erosion and agricultural activity. In one part of the site, two Roman drainage ditches do not respect the careful layout of the earlier buildings and together with a few fragments of fourth century pottery recovered from the same vicinity provide a tantalising hint of continued late occupation.
It is only recently that the extent and range of military industrial supply bases have begun to be revealed, not only in northern Britain but also on the Continent. It is clear that the results of the two major excavation campaigns at Walton-le-Dale are consistent and complementary, reflecting different facets of the same installation. The results of this work will make a most important contribution to our understanding of this less well known aspect of Roman military archaeology and in conjunction with the recent work undertaken at Ribchester and Papcastle are of particular relevance to the broader study of the Roman military economy in a frontier region. It is therefore particularly important to collate and assimilate the results of both excavation campaigns, integrating them (where practical and possible), in order to understand their significance better and to disseminate the combined product of these major fieldwork programmes together.
The primary aim of both analysis programmes is to understand the origins, function and development through time of the Roman installation at Walton-le-Dale. Large scale excavations of Roman sites concerned exclusively with production are rare on a national and international scale and it is particularly important to characterise (as far as possible) the processes in use during the main ‘industrial’ phase of activity and the general nature and function of the site, so that it may be compared and contrasted with evidence from analogous sites in Britain and Europe.
The presence of such an extensive site, at this significant strategic location, has far reaching implications for the interpretation and understanding of Roman (military) activity in the region. It is therefore also important to place the site at Walton-le-Dale in its regional context, in order to understand its relationship with shifting (military) markets and to relate possible changes in function to our current understanding of the pattern of military activity and occupation throughout northern Britain during the second and third centuries AD. The high level of production implies that supply and movement of goods was a primary intent of its builders and the artefact assemblage further suggests that the site may have functioned in part as an entrepot, importing, storing and redistributing goods. It is therefore also necessary to consider the position of Walton-le-Dale in the broader context of trade and communications in north west Britain together with the possibility that part of the site may have functioned as a port and that some of the industrial buildings may have served the needs of shipping (repairs etc).
The collective results of work at Walton-le-Dale provide a significant comparator for a seldom excavated and little understood class of site and have already excited considerable interest and debate among Roman military scholars throughout Europe. Any available parallels in Britain and on the Continent must be explored so that the nature and role of supply base/storage depot installations in the Roman military repertory can be more fully understood. The publication of the Walton-le-Dale excavations will make a major contribution to the study of this aspect of Roman military archaeology.
It is anticipated that the results of the 1981-3 and 1996-7 programmes will be published together as a stand-alone monograph in the Lancaster Imprints series, allowing the discussion and synthesis of both sets of results. It is clearly impractical to integrate completely the two recording and analysis programmes but it is equally obvious that publishing the two programmes separately serves no purpose whatsoever and indeed would detract considerably from the overall value and significance of the results.
The final phase of the 1981-3 publication programme will run alongside the analysis and publication programme of the 1996-7 excavations during 1998 and 1999, under the collective management of the Lancaster University Archaeological Unit. In this way, it will be possible to collate and assimilate the results of the two programmes wherever appropriate but without the necessity of entirely recasting the results of the earlier programme in order to achieve an inevitably spurious and costly integration of the material.
It is planned that both excavation programmes with share common introductory matter (background material to the history and location of the site etc) and that the structural description of the two excavations will be presented separately (but employing consistent phasing and terminology allowing the presentation of unified phase plans). This will properly reflect the different methodologies employed and will minimise additional costs of collation and integration, whilst maintaining the benefit of viewing the complex as a single entity. The interpretation and discussion of both excavations is to be fully integrated in order to reflect the research objectives which must relate to the complex as a whole; this aim is facilitated by the fact that the final discussion of the 1981-83 excavations has yet to be drafted.
Although it would clearly be advantageous to integrate fully all the finds catalogues and reports for both phases of work, the 1981-3 material has long been completed and, although some revision of this will be necessary to reflect advances made in intervening years, it is considered unnecessary (and too costly) to recast this material completely at this stage. For some classes of finds (e.g. coins) it will be appropriate to integrate the reports if this can be achieved at minimal costs.
The supporting documentation (on CD-ROM) will remain separate. The 1981-3 material, originally intended for microfiche, is already prepared as camera ready copy and can easily be converted to a format suitable for CD-ROM. The 1996-7 material was recorded digitally directly into database format on-site and although it would be possible to upgrade the earlier archive completely, this would be relatively time consuming and costly and is considered unnecessary.
The paper, digital and finds archive of both phases of work are currently held by the Lancaster University Archaeological Unit. The site archive for the 1981-3 programme is complete. The research archive is nearing completion. It is well collated and ordered and only requires indexing prior to final security copying and deposition. The paper and digital archive for both projects will be deposited in the Lancashire County Record Office and the finds archive, together with a copy of the paper and digital archive will be deposited with the Lancashire Museums Service.
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