Cropmarks beside the River Deveron revealed the line of a probable Roman marching camp. Burnfield is a Roman marching camp, a temporary military enclosure used by an army on campaign, near Milltown of Rothiemay in Aberdeenshire.
The site was first recognised from aerial photography in 1982. Its full enclosed area remains uncertain, but the shallow ditch and topography have allowed comparison with other nearby camps at Auchinhove and Ythan Wells.
What follows is drawn from published sources, with each claim labelled by how firmly it is established.
History
Burnfield lies on the banks of the River Deveron near Milltown of Rothiemay.
The site is interpreted as a probable Roman marching camp.
It was first discovered by aerial photography in 1982.
The known camp covered at least 9.72 hectares.
The topography makes it unlikely that the camp exceeded 16 hectares.
The ditch was found to be only 0.69 metres deep.
The site has been compared with nearby Roman camps at Auchinhove and Ythan Wells.
People
-
Alan F. Leslie
researcher cited in the pack bibliography for Roman temporary camps in Britain.
Plan your visit
- Location
- 57.5162°N · 2.7695°W
- Access
- Visible from a public way
- Terrain
- Easy going
Opening & admission
The source pack does not provide reliable current admission details; verify before travelling.
- The Roman camp is known mainly from aerial photography and buried cropmark evidence; the pack gives no on-site visitor details.
Nearby places
Fortified place · Medieval
Huntly Castle
Aberdeenshire
Its ruined palace preserves some of the finest heraldic stone carving in Scotland alongside six centuries of the Gordon family's turbulent history.
Questions people ask
- What is Burnfield?
- It is the site of a probable Roman marching camp near Milltown of Rothiemay.
- What is a Roman marching camp?
- It is a temporary fortified camp used by Roman troops while moving through a campaign landscape.
- How was it discovered?
- The source says it was first discovered through aerial photography in 1982.
- How large was it?
- The known area was at least 9.72 hectares, though the source says the topography makes an area above 16 hectares unlikely.
Sources
Explore more: Fortified places · Roman · Aberdeenshire
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