Roman Middlewich
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Image:Middlewich - Harbutts Field.jpg
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Middlewich was founded by the Romans as Salinae on account of the salt deposits around it, as it was one of their major sites of salt production. Middlewich lies across the King Street fault, which follows King Street and then continues roughly following Brooks Lane.{{cite web | title=19th-20th Century Middlewich | work=Salt making sites in Cheshire | author=George Twigg | url=http://www.cheshirehistory.org.uk/Papers/Salt.htm#2.1.8 | accessdate=2006-06-26 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060504020359/http://www.cheshirehistory.org.uk/Papers/Salt.htm#2.1.8 |archivedate = 2006-05-04}} Salinae is taken to be the Roman name for "the salt workings" {{cite web| title=SALINAE (CORNOVIORVM)| work=www.roman-britain.co.uk| url=https://www.roman-britain.co.uk/places/salinae_cornoviorum/}} and it also appears to be the name given to Droitwich. During this time the Romans built a fort at
Harbutts Field (SJ70216696), to the north of the town,{{cite web | title=Fieldwork 1999| work=Historic Environment Fieldwork Full Summary | url=http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/Planning/NaturalHistoricEnv/Historic/NHE_Historic_FieldworkFull.htm#1999 | accessdate=2006-05-21 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060219032150/http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/Planning/NaturalHistoricEnv/Historic/NHE_Historic_FieldworkFull.htm#1999 |archivedate = 2006-02-19}} and recent excavations to the south of the fort have found evidence of further Roman activity
{{cite web | title=Fieldwork 2000| work=Historic Environment Fieldwork Full Summary | url=http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/Planning/NaturalHistoricEnv/Historic/NHE_Historic_FieldworkFull.htm#2000 | accessdate=2006-05-21 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060219032150/http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/Planning/NaturalHistoricEnv/Historic/NHE_Historic_FieldworkFull.htm#2000 |archivedate = 2006-02-19}}
{{cite web | title=Fieldwork 2001| work=Historic Environment Fieldwork Full Summary | url=http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/Planning/NaturalHistoricEnv/Historic/NHE_Historic_FieldworkFull.htm#2001| accessdate=2006-05-21 |archiveurl = https://web.archive.org/web/20060219032150/http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/Planning/NaturalHistoricEnv/Historic/NHE_Historic_FieldworkFull.htm#2001 |archivedate = 2006-02-19}} including a well and part of a preserved Roman road. A further excavation in 2004 in Buckley's Field {{cite web|title=Roman dig - update |work=Cheshire Matters |url=http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/52AED909-26CE-4CFF-8438-5CEDC73B7CE7/0/NovCheshireMatterssp.pdf#page=4 |accessdate=2006-05-21 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20070927004303/http://www.cheshire.gov.uk/NR/rdonlyres/52AED909-26CE-4CFF-8438-5CEDC73B7CE7/0/NovCheshireMatterssp.pdf#page=4 |archivedate=September 27, 2007 }} has found further evidence of Roman occupation. A Roman Road, King Street runs between Middlewich and nearby Northwich. It has been postulated that this was the initial route of the Roman conquest of the North West of England,{{cite web|title=David Bird: The Events of A.D. 43: Further Reflections |work=BRITANNIA 33 2002, A JOURNAL OF ROMANO-BRITISH AND KINDRED STUDIES |url=http://www.romansociety.org/webbrit02.htm#bk15 |accessdate=2006-05-21 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20050612083240/http://www.romansociety.org/webbrit02.htm |archivedate=June 12, 2005 }} but evidence from pottery (in particular a scarcity of early Flavian samian ware suggests that this is unlikely.
Middlewich was a junction between seven major Roman roads, and it has been known as 'Medius Vicus' (the town at the junction of the roads) in the past.{{cite book | title=The story of Bygone Middlewich | year=1936 | author=C F Lawrence}}
Roman items in Middlewich Library
A number of Roman artefacts can be found in Middlewich library, including the following
Image:Middlewich - Roman artefacts - Tankard.jpg|Tankard Black burnished-ware tankard, thought to have been made in either Dorset, the Thames estuary or Kent between 120-200AD. It has been polished with small stones to give it a grey-black metallic sheen.
Image:Middlewich - Roman artefacts - Amphora.jpg|Amphora, of a type used to transport olive oil, wine or fish sauce throughout the empire. This was later used for salt making, as shown by the letters AMVRCO, meaning "Salt waste", scratched into the surface.
Image:Middlewich - Roman artefacts - Discharge diploma.jpg|A military discharge diploma. This military discharge diploma granted to a trooper of the Ala Classiana cavalry regiment in 105 AD. The original was found off King Street, Middlewich
Image:Middlewich - Roman artefacts - Brooches.jpg|Brooches, from left to right: Trumpet brooch (2nd to 4th century), Penannular brooch (2nd to 4th century) and two other bronze brooches (or fibulae).
Image:Middlewich - Roman artefacts - Creamware flagon.jpg|A 3rd century creamware flagon probably used to hold wine.
Image:Middlewich - Roman artefacts - Stewpot.jpg|A fragment of a Roman army stewpot
Image:Middlewich - Roman artefacts - Mortarium.jpg|A mortarium or mixing bowl, from 80 to 110 AD, marked ALBINVS (the potters name) on the rim, probably made at Wilderspool.
Image:Middlewich - Roman artefacts - Orange ware beaker.jpg|Orange ware beaker
Image:Middlewich - Roman artefacts - Chimney pot.jpg|Chimney pot
Image:Middlewich - Roman artefacts - Samian ware.jpg|Terra sigillata, or "fine" pottery
Image:Middlewich - Roman artefacts - Nails.jpg|Iron nails from the 2nd century AD.
References
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Further reading
- Roman Middlewich: A Story of Roman and Briton in Mid-Cheshire. T.J. Strickland, Graham Sumner, 2001
External links
- [https://web.archive.org/web/20060906154243/http://www.middlewich.org.uk/roman_middlewich.htm Roman Middlewich project]