Regulbium

Regulbium was the name of an ancient Roman fort of the Saxon Shore in the vicinity of the modern English resort of Reculver in Kent. Its name derives from the local Celtic language, meaning "great headland".

History

The first Roman military installation in the area was a small fortlet built directly after the invasion of Britain in the reign of Claudius, protected by earthworks. The fortlet, strategically located at the entrance of the Wantsum Channel, possibly housed a signal tower, perhaps a lighthouse, an continued in operation at least until the late 60s, since coins dating to the reign of Nero were found on site. This structure lay within the bounds of the later, larger stone fort, which was built in the early 3rd century, probably in ca. 210, since the sole stone inscription found at the fort (in 1960) mentions the then governor of Britain, Aulus Triarius Rufinus. [ [http://cka.moon-demon.co.uk/KAR017/KAR017_Reculver.htm Philp, Brian (1969). "The Reculver Inscription". "Kent Archaelogical Review" (17).] ] This construction occurred at a time when cities and strategic sites all over Western Europe were fortified in response to the greater threat posed by barbarian raids. The archaeological remains display another period of great activity towards the end of the century, the time of the Carausian Revolt, and again in the first half of the 4th century. However, it appears that after 360, the fort was abandoned by the Roman military. During the 3rd century, and possibly also until its abandonment, the fort was garrisoned by the "cohors I Baetasiorum" (the "first cohort of Baetasii"), as attested in the "Notitia Dignitatum" ["Notitia Dignitatum, Pars Occ.", XXVIII.18] and in tile stamps found at the site.

After the arrival of the Anglo-Saxons in Britain, the site continued to be inhabited, and, now called Raculf, became a residence of the Kings of Kent. In 669, King Ecgberht of Kent founded a monastery on the site of the fort. [Garmonsway, G.N., The Anglo-Saxon Chronicle, Dent, Dutton, 1972 & 1975, pp. 34-5.] It clearly was important, since in 690, its abbot, Bertwald, became Archbishop of Canterbury.

Location and construction

In Antiquity, the fort stood directly at the northern entrance of the mile-wide Wantsum Channel, which separated the Thanet island from the mainland. The Channel was a favoured passage for shipping, and the fort was built to both control it and act as a navigational marker. The fort itself was a typical "castrum", square-shaped with rounded corners. The single rampart was 10 feet (3 m) thick at the base and tapering to 8 feet (2.5m) at the top, with a height of probably 20 feet (6 m). It was additionally strengthened by an earthen rampart in the interior, and surrounded by two external ditches. The fort covered an area of 3.06 ha, but almost half of that has been lost to the sea due to erosion.

References

Sources

*cite book|last=Fields |first=Nic |title=Rome's Saxon Shore - Coastal Defences of Roman Britain AD 250-500 (Fortress 56) |year=2006 |publisher=Osprey Publishing |isbn=978-1-84603-094-9
*cite journal |last=Johnston |first=David E. |coauthors= et als. |year=1977 |title=The Saxon Shore |journal=CBA Research Report |issue=18 |url=http://ads.ahds.ac.uk/catalogue/adsdata/cbaresrep/pdf/018/018tl001.pdf |accessdate= 2007-08-20
*cite journal |last=Philp |first=Brian |year=1969 |title=The Roman Fort at Reculver Excavations 1968 -- Interim Report. |journal=Kent Archaeological Review|issue=15 |url=http://cka.moon-demon.co.uk/KAR015/KAR015_Reculver.htm |accessdate= 2008-08-10
*cite book |last=Philp |first=Brian |title=Report on the Excavations of Roman Reculver |year=2005 |publisher=Kent Archaeological Rescue Unit |isbn=0947831-24-X

External links

* [http://www.roman-britain.org/places/regulbium.htm Regulbium | Roman Britain]
* [http://www.favonius.com/romans/reculver.htm Reculver | Favonius.com]