Longovicium

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Auxiliary Roman fort in Durham county

title: "Longovicium" type: doc version: 1 created: 2026-02-28 author: "Wikipedia contributors" status: active scope: public tags: ["buildings-and-structures-completed-in-the-2nd-century", "roman-fortifications-in-england", "roman-sites-in-county-durham", "english-heritage-sites-in-county-durham", "tourist-attractions-in-county-durham", "former-populated-places-in-county-durham", "history-of-county-durham", "scheduled-monuments-in-county-durham", "roman-auxiliary-forts-in-england", "lanchester,-county-durham"] description: "Auxiliary Roman fort in Durham county" topic_path: "history" source: "https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Longovicium" license: "CC BY-SA 4.0" wikipedia_page_id: 0 wikipedia_revision_id: 0

::summary Auxiliary Roman fort in Durham county ::

::data[format=table title="Infobox castrum"]

Field	Value
image	Longovicium - geograph.org.uk - 344015.jpg
caption	Roman walls of Longovicium
name	Longovicium
known_as	Lanchester Roman Fort
founded	c. 150 AD
abandoned	c. 5th century AD
robust_struct_material	Stone
legions	XX Valeria Victrix
province	Britannia
admin_unit_1	Britannia Inferior
coordinates
map	United Kingdom County Durham
map_alt
map_caption	Location in County Durham
map_size
map_relief
place_name	Lanchester
location_town	Durham
location_county	County Durham
location_country	England
ref:UK:OSNG	NZ158468
::

Notitia Dignitatum
Ravenna Cosmography |previous_fortification = |type = |robust_struct_material = Stone |robust_struct_built_during_reign_of = |robust_struct_built = |robust_struct_abandoned = |robust_struct_dim1 = |robust_struct_dim2 = |robust_struct_area = |robust_struct_shape = |robust_struct_thickness = |robust_struct_technique = |robust_struct_towers = |weak_struct_material = |weak_struct_built_during_reign_of = |weak_struct_built = |weak_struct_abandoned = |weak_struct_dim1 = |weak_struct_dim2 = |weak_struct_area = |weak_struct_shape = |weak_struct_thickness = |weak_struct_technique = |weak_struct_towers = |commanders = |legions = XX Valeria Victrix |cohorts =
I Vardulorum
I Lingonum |alae = |classis = |numberi = |events = |province = Britannia |capital_of = |admin_unit_1 = Britannia Inferior |admin_unit_2 = |limes = |nearby_water = |links = |coordinates = |altitude_m = |altitude_ref = |map = United Kingdom County Durham |map_alt = |map_caption = Location in County Durham |map_size = |map_relief = |place_name = Lanchester |location_town = Durham |location_county = County Durham |location_state = |location_country = England |ref:UK:OSNG = NZ158468 |ref:RO:LMI = |ref:RO:RAN = |ref:UNESCO = |coins_found = |discovery_year = |condition = |controlled_by = |excavations = |archaeologists = |exhibitions = |website = |notes =

Longovicium (or Lanchester Roman Fort) was an auxiliary fort located on Roman Dere Street, in the Roman province of Britannia Inferior. It is located just southwest of Lanchester () in the English county of Durham, roughly 8 mi to the west of the city of Durham and 5 mi from Consett.{{cite book | title = Longovicium: Lanchester's Roman Fort | publisher = The Friends of Longovicium | date = 2007

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/7/70/Roman.Britain.north.155.jpg" caption="Roman north Britain 155 AD"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/e/ef/Roman.Scotland.370.jpg" caption="Roman north Britain 370 AD"] ::

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/1/1b/Bauinschrift_Lanchester.jpg" caption="Building dedication (bath) to Emperor Gordian III from ''Cohors I Lingonum'' found in Lanchester"] ::

Etymology

The name Longovicium is of Brittonic origin. The first element is *longo- meaning "ship" (cf. Welsh llong). The second element may be wīg broadly meaning "settlement" (Welsh gwig; compare Wigan), or else **uic-*, "warrior/fighter". Longovicum may represent an adaption of a tribal name, Longovices.

Lanchester fort is a good fit to the Ravenna Cosmography name Lincovigla, with a natural meaning close to 'hillside watcher'. Longovicium in the Notitia Dignitatum is easier to explain in coastal Cumbria than in inland Yorkshire and the argument that that name was constructed in a language close to Welsh is weak.

History

The fort was situated between Vindomora (Ebchester), and Vinovia (Binchester) on Dere Street, the main Roman road linking Eboracum (York) with Hadrian's Wall. It is about 20 mi south of the wall, and was built on high ground with clear views around the site. Some archaeologists have postulated that a road may have existed connecting the fort at Longovicium to the one at Concangis (modern-day Chester-le-Street), but this has yet to be proven.

A construction slab identifies the Legio XX Valeria Victrix (Twentieth Legion) as having built the fort,{{cite web |title = What do we know about... Lanchester – Longovicium |publisher = Durham County Council |url = http://www.durham.gov.uk/durhamcc/usp.nsf/Lookup/Lanchester%20Roman%20Fort%20More%20information/$file/Lanchester+Roman+Fort+More+information.pdf

The fort is listed both in the Notitia Dignitatum and in the Ravenna Cosmography.

The rectangular fort, which had rounded not square corners, had four gates and was surrounded by a ditch. Despite never having systematically excavated, archaeologists have found the remains of the headquarters buildings, a bathhouse and some barracks buildings through the use of geophysical survey. Remains of a nearby vicus have been found, and its traces can be seen through aerial photography. A cemetery was also discovered in the 20th century to the southwest of the fort, with examples of stone-lined burials and cremations sites. The fact that the fort is located on fields that have not been ploughed means its condition is remarkable, although stone robbing has taken its toll. A column, probably from the colonnade of the Commandant's House, can be found in the nearby All Saints' Parish Church, as can an altar dedicated to the goddess Garmangabis.

Professor Andrew Breeze, of the University of Navarra, has argued that the Battle of Brunanburh took place at Longovicium. He interprets Brunanburh as meaning 'stronghold of the Browney', the river which passes the fort.

Aqueducts and reservoirs

Longovicium is also interesting in having had a copious water supply from two aqueducts, one of which was fed from an impounded source to the west. The dam harnessed the water of 21 springs and was 20 ft high and 110 yd in length, being stone faced and clay lined on the inside. Despite not being on the scale of those supplying cities, the Longovicium aqueduct was nevertheless a significant feat of engineering, being considered one of the best preserved aqueducts in Britain. There is also a receiving reservoir near the fort itself. The Dolaucothi gold mines had a larger number of aqueducts, and numerous reservoirs, which are also very well preserved. The water supply at Dolaucothi was used for hydraulic mining and hushing gold deposits, while that at Longovicium is currently unknown.

Industry

::figure[src="https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/2/2e/Lanchester_Roman_Fort_Longovicium_and_Vicus.jpg" caption="A [[lidar]] view of Lanchester Roman fort, Longovicium, and vicus."] ::

The above-average usage of water might be attributed to the demands of the baths, latrines and the possible Armamentarium, although industrial usage is more likely, since all forts would have baths and latrines. Large-scale smithing or smelting is assumed to have been carried out within the fort or the associated vicus judging by the large quantities of slag and cinders found at the site. This would seem to support the thesis that this particular fort was home to an Armamentarium, or arms store, where weaponry was fabricated and stored. This would supply not only Longovicium but other nearby forts. However, the site is almost unique in Britain for the size of its water supply, and the remains imply large-scale iron smelting, perhaps assisted by watermills for forging iron products.

Much of what is known about the site is due to the large number of altars, dedication slabs and a milestone dedicated to emperor Gordian III found 1/2 mi away from the fort on the path of Dere Street. Gods worshipped include traditional Roman deities such as Jupiter, Mars, Mercury and Silvanus and Celtic and Germanic ones such as Garmangabis. From such stones and building inscriptions it is known who built the fort and eventually garrisoned it.

Garrison

During the first century AD, two stones (an altar and an inscription) attest that the Cohors Primae Fida Vardulorum Milliaria Equitata Civium Romanorum (The First Cohort of Faithful Varduli, one-thousand strong, part-mounted, citizens of Rome) were present at Longovicium. This unit of Varduli had its origins in Hispania Tarraconensis, Gipuzkoa, in northern Spain, where the unit was raised. This unit was also present at other forts in the Britannia Superior, such as Castlecary on the Antonine Wall, Bremenium (High Rochester), Corstopitum (Corbridge) and milecastle 19 on Hadrian's Wall. The Tarraconensis region of Spain was the most important source of gold, tin, copper and other metals and minerals in the entire Roman Empire, and the Romans applied water power on a large scale for hydraulic mining using aqueducts to tap the local rivers. The remains of their mining efforts can be seen today at Las Médulas, for example. It may not be coincidental that Lanchester possesses so many aqueducts and reservoirs, although they must have been adapted for some other purpose.

Two more stone inscriptions, dated AD 238 and 244, attest to the Cohors Primae Lingonums (First Cohort of Lingones) and the ''Cohors Primae Lingonum Gordiana equitata'''s (First Cohort of Lingones, Gordian's own, part mounted) presence. The Lingones inhabited the Plateau de Langres in the Bourgogne region of France, near Dijon. There was also a detachment of Suebians (or Suevi) from Lusitania present at this time.

The fourth century saw the fort garrisoned by a native unit of Longovicians, an irregular part-mounted auxiliary unit commanded by Roman knights.

Future projects

The Friends of Longovicium society, Durham County Council, Durham University and Newcastle University have been working together with the owner of the lands on which the fort is situated to eventually open the area to the public, turning it into a tourist attraction. Possible excavations are also envisaged. The project currently needs a couple of million pounds, funds which the County Council is pursuing through English Heritage.

References

"A Guide to the Place-Name Evidence".
Delamarre, Dictionnaire de la langue gauloise, Errance, Paris, 2003 (2nd ed.), p. 207.
"lincovig".
Mason, David J. P.. (2001). "Roman Chester: City of the Eagles". Tempus Publishing Ltd.
[http://www.roman-britain.org/places/longovicium.htm Longovicivm] {{webarchive. link. (31 March 2008)
link. (17 November 2007)
link. (26 August 2005)
Breeze, Andrew. (2014-12-04). "Brunanburh in 937: Bromborough or Lanchester?".
Havery, Gavin. (2013-10-04). "Lanchester – birthplace of a unified kingdom?". The Northern Echo.
Bidwell, Paul. (2007). "Roman Forts in Britain". Tempus.
[https://web.archive.org/web/20090423160410/http://www.camulos.com/crs.htm The Colchester Roman Society]
[https://web.archive.org/web/20070903094213/http://www.heritageconsulting.co.uk/11984.html?sessionidkey=sessionidval Rob Robinson Heritage Consulting]

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