The Towns of Roman Britain Part 5

It is supposed to have received its name[8] (Cross Hill) from a cross erected on the eminence. A large number of Roman remains have been found in the neighbourhood, testifying to the importance of the place during the time of their occupation. On the West side of the town there are also traces of a large camp, which was doubtless utilized by different bodies of invaders and settlers. The oldest historical mention of Maldon is in 913, when Edward the Elder encamped near it to oppose an incursion of the Danes.

[Footnote 8: Maldon may be a shortened form of a second Ca_mul_odunum. _Dun_ would be a _hill-fortress_, and a cross being erected thereon would give rise to the appellation _Cross Hill_.]

MANCHESTER.--180 miles N.W. of London. (Celtic _man_--a district).

It is situated in the neighbourhood of four rivers, viz., the Irwell, Medlock, Irk, and Tib. It has been conjectured that at Castlefield there stood a British fortress, which was afterwards taken possession of by the soldiers of Agricola; at all events, it would appear to be certain that a Roman Station of some importance existed in this locality, as a fragment of a wall still exists. Even up to the end of the eighteenth century considerable evidences of Roman occupation were visible in and around Manchester, and from time to time in the course of excavation (especially during the digging for the Bridgewater Ca.n.a.l) old-time remains have been found. The coins recovered were those of Vespasian, Antoninus Pius, Trajan, Hadrian, Nero, Domitian, Vitellius, and even as late as the time of Constantine. The period immediately succeeding the Roman occupation is largely legendary; but up to the seventeenth century there was a floating tradition that Tarquin, an enemy of Arthur, kept the castle of Manchester, but was subsequently killed by Launcelot of the Lake.

The town was probably one of the scenes of the preaching of Paulinus, the celebrated Bishop of York and of Rochester (597-644), and is said to have been the residence of Ina, King of Wess.e.x, and his queen, Ethelburga, after he had defeated Ivor, in the year 689. It suffered greatly from the ravages of the Danes. In Domesday Book, Manchester, Salford, Rochdale, and Radcliffe are the only places named in South-east Lancas.h.i.+re.

PORTSMOUTH.--74 miles S.W. of London.

To the north of the harbour is situated Porchester Castle, a ruined Norman fortress occupying the site of the _Portus Magnus_ of the Romans. Portsmouth and Southampton must have been used by the Romans as a pa.s.sage way to the Isle of Wight, where the remains of villas show that the island furnished a place of residence for rich and distinguished Romans.

RECULVER.

At the time of the Roman occupation Thanet was an island, and to guard the north-west end of the important channel of the "Wantsume,"

which separated the island from the main part of Kent, the Romans built Regulbium, corresponding to the greater Rutupiae of the southern outlet.[9] The Roman fort was probably one of the earliest in the country. It must have covered about eighty acres, and was garrisoned by the first cohort of Vetasii from Brabant. In 670, Ba.s.sa, a priest, erected a monastery and church here, which, nearly three hundred years later, were annexed by the monks of Christ Church, Canterbury. The greater part of these buildings was ruthlessly destroyed by the villagers in 1809, but the intervention of the Trinity House authorities in the following year saved the towers of the church, to serve as landmarks to the mariner. The churchyard is being slowly eroded by the sea.

[Footnote 9: It is possible that works now proceeding, necessitated by the Great War, may result in the regulation of the waterways close to Sandwich and in its neighbourhood in such wise as to open up again this channel, and const.i.tute Thanet once more an island in fact as well as in name.]

RICHBOROUGH.--Rutupiae.

This furnishes one of the finest remaining relics of Roman Britain.

Built somewhat later than Reculver--about the middle of the third century A.D.--the castle guarded the princ.i.p.al and oldest port of entry into Britain in the Roman period. The rectangular enclosure still existing was the fortress of a considerable Roman settlement which lay to the south and south-west. At a little distance is an amphitheatre with three entrances. Out of the West or Dec.u.man Gate, the Roman road to London and the North started. In the centre of the North wall is the opening of the Postern Gate, and there were probably central gates on the east and south. The feature of greatest interest remaining is the subterranean structure in the centre. This consists of an overhanging platform on a concrete foundation. There are traces of an encircling wall, and projecting upwards from the centre is an extraordinary cruciform platform. An underground pa.s.sage runs round the whole. Some antiquaries consider that all this formed part of some temporary or subst.i.tutional building raised in lieu of an original more ambitious design; others think it may have been a signal tower combined with a lighthouse. In the Liverpool Museum are to be found many objects discovered here, including mural paintings, pottery, toys, dice, a steelyard with weights, and bone spurs, used for c.o.c.k-fighting.

ROCHESTER.--Durobrivae; Horfcester, 33 miles E.S.E. of London.

Its situation on the Roman Way from the Kentish ports to the metropolis, as well as its strategical position on the bend of the Medway, gave Rochester and the adjacent places on the river early importance. It was a walled Romano-British town, though of no great size. The original bridge across the Medway to Strood probably dates from the Roman period, taking the place of a ferry.

SILCHESTER.--In North Hamps.h.i.+re--Calleva, 10 miles south of Reading.

A Romano-British town, which was thoroughly explored under the auspices of the Society of Antiquaries between 1890 and 1909. The whole plan of the ancient town within the walls was disclosed as successive portions were uncovered. The suburbs, and the cemeteries, which, as usual, were located without the gates, have not yet been excavated. The ruins of the Town Hall still remain. The Duke of Wellington, whose residence is at Strathfieldsaye, is the owner of the site. He has arranged that most of the objects found at Silchester shall be deposited in the Museum at Reading.

ST. ALBANS.--Verulamium.

Originally within the limits of the territory of the tribe of which Ca.s.sivellaunus was, at one time, the head. Before the Roman Conquest it was a British capital. In Roman times it received the dignity of a _municipium_--implying munic.i.p.al status and Roman citizens.h.i.+p for its free inhabitants. Tacitus informs us that the town was burnt by Boadicea in 61 A.D., but it soon rose again to prosperity. The site is still easily recognisable, its walls, of flint rubble, surviving in stately fragments, enclosing an area of well-nigh 200 acres. Of the buildings formerly occupying this area but little is now known.

The theatre was excavated in 1847, and parts of the forum in 1898.

The tower of the famous Abbey is largely built of bricks taken from the Roman buildings!

During the first three centuries ten distinct general persecutions swept over the nascent Christian Church. Owing to the remote position of Britain, it appears to have escaped these fiery trials until the time of the Emperor Diocletian, about 304. Several names among the Britons have been traditionally handed down to us as having received the honour of martyrdom, but the premier place among them has always been accorded to a young soldier who was stationed at Verulam. It appears that he was converted by an evangelist named Amphibalus, to whom, when the trial came, he gave shelter, and even facilitated his escape by an exchange of garments. When brought before the judges and charged with concealing "a blasphemer of the Roman G.o.ds," Alban avowed himself a convert to the proscribed religion and refused, in spite of torture, to burn incense upon the heathen altars. He was therefore beheaded outside the city about the year 285 (although the precise date is uncertain).[10] About A.D. 785, Offa, king of that part of Britain which we call the Midland Counties, caused search to be made for the bones of the proto-martyr, and built a n.o.ble monastery and church where they were found, which possibly may be identified with the older parts of the present structure.[11]

Eventually his shrine was reared up in the South transept of the Cathedral. Behind and just above the shrine is the Watching Gallery, where devotees offered continual prayer and guarded the relics from fire and robbery. Close by is another shrine in memory of S.

Amphibalus. The monastery attained to great eminence--its head was the premier Abbot of England--and the shrine was loaded with ornaments of enormous value. The glory departed at the time of the Dissolution under Henry VIII. The Monastic Church is now admitted to the rank of a Cathedral. The building was restored (or deformed?) at great cost by the first Lord Grimthorpe, who did things with all his right, but, as in this case, as some say, with all his wrong.

[Footnote 10: Appendix D.]

[Footnote 11: These words are written within a mile of a site in Kent which bears the name of St. Albans, inasmuch as a small daughter-house was established there.]

The church in the neighbourhood of old St. Albans, on the North side of the chancel, contains a monument to the memory of Francis Bacon, Viscount St. Albans, a great lawyer, an incisive thinker, the founder of the school of inductive philosophers--a man who, unhappily, was cast from his exalted legal position by the malice of his foes. How far he himself contributed to his disgrace we will not say.

WINCHESTER.--Wynton, otherwise, Venta Belgarum (_Venta_, a Latin form of _Win_, which is derived from the Celtic, _gwent_, a plain; hence also _Venta Silurum_, and Bennaventa=Daventry); 66-1/2 miles S.W.

London.

The city is situated in and above the valley of the Itchen, mainly on the left bank. Tradition ascribes its foundation to Tudor Rous Hudibras, and dates it 99 years before the first building of Rome!

Earthworks and relics testify that the Itchen Valley was originally occupied by Celts, and it is certain from its position at the centre of six Roman roads, and from the relics found there, that the Caer Gwent (White City of the Celts--_Ghwin_--white[12]) under the name of Venta Belgarum, was an important Romano-British country town. Legends acc.u.mulate here around the persons of Arthur and his knights. After the conquest of Hamps.h.i.+re by Gervisus, the place became the capital of Wess.e.x, then of England, when the Kings of Wess.e.x consolidated the kingdom. Alfred and Canute resided here, amongst other English sovereigns; and here were laid to rest Alfred's remains, until--at the close of the eighteenth century--the coffin that contained them was sold by a mercenary munic.i.p.ality for the sake of the lead in which they were enclosed! Egbert, Edmund the Elder, and Canute were also buried here. Edward the Confessor was crowned in the Minster in 1043. Being near the New Forest, and only 12 miles from Southampton, Winchester was much frequented by the Norman Kings. William I wore the crown there at Easter, even as at Westminster at Whitsuntide, and at Gloucester at Christmas.

[Footnote 12: The two words _gwent_ and _ghwin_ probably look to each other in a common meaning. _Gwent_, that which is extended, as a plain; _ghwin_, that which presents a uniform lightish tint, such as a plain or a lake, as contrasted with dark patches or mora.s.s.]

WROXETER.--(Towards the Welsh border the _c._ or _ch._ of _chester_ becomes an _x_, and the tendency to elision is very strong.) The equivalent is Uriconium, properly Viroconium. The original Celtic name survives in _Wroxeter_ and _Wrekin_, it being derived from Celtic _rhos_--a moor. Wroxeter is situated on the Severn, 5 miles E.

of Shrewsbury.

It was a large Romano-British town, originally the chief town of the Cornovii. At first (perhaps about 45-55 A.D.) it const.i.tuted a Roman legionary fortress, held by Legio XIV (Gemina) against the Welsh hill tribes. However, its garrison was soon removed, and it became a flouris.h.i.+ng town with stately Town Hall, Baths and other appurtenances of a thoroughly Roman and civilised city. It was larger and probably richer than Silchester. The lines of its walls can still be traced, enclosing about 170 acres. Parts of important public buildings have been disclosed by the excavations, which are still progressing. They are carried on under the auspices of the Society of Antiquaries.[13]

[Footnote 13: See Appendix D.]