NOTES ON A ROMAN MILITARY FORTRESS

BY PHILLIP E JONES

I have been working on a local history project dealing with the 2000 year history of the City of Chester, from pre-Roman times through to the present day and including the various local, national and international events which contributed the Chester's early development and subsequent demise. The project is currently being used as the basis for a series of historical features by a local newspaper, although in a highly compressed format and is also being supplied to local readers via email, on a full text, chapter by chapter basis.

Although there have been numerous books written about Chester over the years, my own particular project has tried to include and expand upon the various national events and historical individuals that have been associated with the city's extensive history and its resulting decline as a major sea port and its subsequent growth as a modern day retail and tourist centre.

The project currently consists of 16 separate parts or chapters, totalling some 114 pages and 100,000 words, produced as 4 individual booklets, each one printed in an A5 format and entitled "Notes on a Roman Military Fortress - A Brief History of Chester". In order to read sections of each individual chapter, please click on the bold sub-headings shown below. For a complete version of the project, please see our Freelancer Booklets page. The various sections include;

1. A Sandstone Outcrop:

An introduction into the natural and early history of the site prior to the arrival of the Roman Legions, detailing the various native tribes that might have inhabited the region and including information about later local archaeological discoveries which indicate pre-Roman activity at the site of the later Deva military fortress 
 
2. The Long March To Chester:

From Julius Caesar's two early military expeditions to Britain in around 54/55 BC through to the full conquest which was ordered by the Emperor Claudius around 43AD. Although national events, these incursions inevitably led to conflict between the native tribes of Northwest Britain and the Legions of Rome which resulted in the identification and settlement of the site overlooking the River Dee

3. The First Permanent Settlement:

Following the accession of the Emperor Vespasian, Rome adopted a new policy towards Britain, that of total conquest. Roman forces then began a series of military campaigns against the native tribes of North Wales and Northwest Britain which once again brought them to the River Dee and the decision to build a permanent base on the site. Memorial Stones and Altars found at Chester offer us an insight into the individuals that made up the Legionary force and details on the construction of this early military fortress
 
4. A Future Set In Stone:

Around 87AD the 20th Legion Valeria Victrix arrived at their new garrison at Chester and began rebuilding the fortress in stone, replacing the wooden defenses and living accommodations which had deteriorated in the damp British climate. As the work progressed the sandstone walls, the major military and administrative buildings began to appear and the historic street layout which still exists today were first planned
 
5. Disputes, Decay and Development:

As with all great civilizations the fortunes of the Roman Empire constantly ebbed and flowed throughout its entire existence and these changes were reflected in their 300 year occupancy of Chester. The fortress was subjected to various stages of decay and development, often brought about by rounds of disputes, both locally and nationally which led to the garrison at Chester being at full strength or seriously undermanned. Towards the end of the 4th Century, the fortress at Chester was reported to be no longer garrisoned by the 20th Legion who appear to have disappeared from Britain and the base may well have been held by a Scottish tribe called the "Votadini"

6. A Journey Into Darkness:

In around 410 the remaining Roman military units finally withdrew from Britain, marking an end to their 350 year occupation and leaving the northwest of England to be reclaimed by its native peoples or the pirates that were raiding large parts of the province. At Chester, the former military fortress was constantly fought over by a number of neighbouring tribes or kingdoms, all of whom recognised the logistical importance of the river site. In later years, the fortress became a target for the Saxon incomers who were conquering large swathes of the country, forcing the native Britons back to the borders of modern day Wales. Finally, Chester became a vital location in the Mercian kingdom of Alfred the Great and his sister, the famed Aethelflaeda, who rebuilt and refortified the former fortress. 
 
7. A City Of Death and Divinity:

When William the Conqueror defeated Harold Godwinsson at Hastings large parts of the country immediately subjected themselves to his authority. However, the Saxon Earls who held much of northern Britain, including Mercia, resisted William's right to rule England, forcing the Norman Lord to pursue his claim through force of arms. The city of Chester resisted William through to 1070 when its defences finally capitulated to the new king, bringing about the death and dispossesssion of its former Saxon rulers. This marked the advent of Hugh Lupus and Robert of Rhuddlan, the Norman Lords who held control of the city and who founded Chester's historic Abbey, the Dee Mills, Chester's historic river weir and the Old Dee Bridge. For the next 150 years or so, Chester would be ruled by a succession of Norman Earls who held Cheshire as their own personal kingdom and answerable only to the king himself. 

8. Historic Walkways and Bitter Welsh Wars:

The city, having returned to the control of the monarch's eldest son as Earl of Chester, continued to be the launching point for military campaigns against the Welsh rulers of North Wales who demanded independence from England. Edward I, "Longshanks" was the monarch that finally crushed the Welsh Prince's challege to his rule. At the same time Chester was beginning to develop the unique elevated walkways or "Rows" that are synonymous with the city.

9. A Monarch Desposed On The Way To Shrewsbury:

During the late 14th and early 15th Century, in the disputes that arose between the supporters of Richard II and Henry IV Chester played a crucial role as the site of a monarch's imprisonment prior to his deposition and subsequent death. It also acted as a rallying point for those nobles that were opposed to the usurper Henry Bolingbroke and from where the famous Henry "Hotspur" Percy began his fateful journey to the Battle of Shrewsbury in 1403 
 
10. From The Stanley Family To The Tudor Dynasty:

A chapter dedicated to the Stanley family, the Earl's of Derby, who are inextricably linked both to the northwest of England and to the city of Chester. Following the family's initial move into the county of Cheshire and their involvement with national events which would bring members of this noted family great wealth and influence, as well as fatal misfortunes.

11. The City's Siege, Surrender and Suffocation:

During the English Civil Wars, Chester was renowned for its resistance to the growing power of Parliament and chose instead to support the ill-fated Charles I. Because of its ancient port Chester was a vital asset to both of the warring parties, offering as it did access to troops and provisions from the outside world. The leading Parliamentarian in the siege of Chester was Sir William Brereton, whose family owned extensive assets throughout the city and who had been forced to flee Chester because his personal safety could not be guaranteed. lthough Brereton was careful to avoid destroying large sections of the city's historic buildings and preferred to starve the city into submission, much collateral damage was wrought on Chester's ancient infrastructure, with its citizens having to resort to eating horses, cats and dogs, such was the shortage of food

12. Royalist Rebellions and the Restoration:

Because of their support for the late monarch, Charles I, Chester found itself heavily penalized by the forces of Parliament. Despite this the city continued to rely extensively on its historic harbour and it remained as a mustering and embarkation point for the thousands of troops who were being shipped to suppress the rounds of unrest which were taking place in Ireland. Following the end of Oliver Cromwell's Protectorate, a number of leading noblemen within Cheshire were instrumental in helping to reinstate the monarchy to England and received great wealth and honours for their efforts. Not all fared so well under Charles' son and at least one notable Cheshire man was disinterred from his final resting place and his rotting corpse publicly displayed, for having played a part in the death of his king 
 
13. The New Cut, Canals and Civic Construction:

As a modern era dawned and the country settled into a relative peace, Chester began to see the end of its history as a major international sea port and was faced with the prospect of not being well placed to compete in a modern fast moving world. The period witnessed local government which lacked ambition, imagination and the willingness to spend money on new transport and technology which might have helped the city to retain its regional importance. Instead, where action was taken and money spent, the resulting schemes were often ill thought out and limited in their overall benefit

14. Chester's History on Crime and Punishment:

In common with many other towns and cities in England, Chester has an extensive history of Crime and Punishment, but differs in the fact that as the county town of Cheshire it played host to those wrongdoers that had seriously transgressed the law and was often their place of execution. Although early records generally do not exist to advise us of Chester's local villains and their indivual sentences, later records seem to indicate that as the world "progressed" and society became more "enlightened" then sentences became far more severe.

15. Builders, Breweries and Brand New Businesses:

The Georgian and especially the Victorian periods marked the decades where ancient Chester was inexorably swept away and replaced with much of what we see today, the replica historic city that is often sold as being something that it clearly isn't. Although valuable structures and buildings in their own rights, they are often poor substitutes for those that they replaced. These same periods also witnessed the early development of Chester as a "tourist" city and saw the construction of many of the industrial businesses which failed to survive for more than a short period

16. A Modern City With a Disappearing Past :

The final section deals with Chester's more recent history, starting generally with the dawn of the 20th Century and how modern development has directly led to the loss of irreplaceable archaeology and how the city, its citizens and its administrators appear to be unable to decide on a direction for the city and its priceless antiquities. With so many new buildings being planned for Chester, it is questionable whether or not the remaining parts of "old" Chester can continue to survive

 

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