Roman Fort on the River Ribble: Ribchester in Lancashire by Mark Davidson

From records in the doomsday book, Ribchester (Ribelcastre) in Lancashire translates into 'Roman Fort on the River Ribble'. Also called Bremetennacum Veteranorum, it was probably established during the late first century AD under the leadership of Antoninus Pius.

The Latin Name

The Latin name for Ribchester had the suffix 'Veteranorum', which indicates that army veterans were settled here. When the men of the unit stationed at Ribchester were retired from service, it appears that they were granted the use of the marshland lying close to the fort in the nearby Fylde countryside. They cut a system of drainage channels and thereby recovered large amounts of rich arable land which was used to grow abundant crops and to raise cattle and horses.

A civilian settlement, or 'vicus', was established in the area outside the fort. The encampment would have been important strategically and was located to ensure that the River Ribble and the main Roman road passing through Ribchester were carefully guarded. The fort may have been occupied by a garrison of up to five hundred cavalrymen needed to patrol the area.

The First Contingent

The first contingent, were Asturians from northern Spain. A unit of Sarmatian cavalry, brought in from the area that is now modern day Hungary, replaced them sometime after AD 175.

To suppress any uprising, a fort could also have been built to quell any trouble from the 'locals'. The Romans had many enemies who hadn’t taken kindly to them invading the country. It created uncertainty in their minds, meaning forts were constructed to secure certain parts of the country.

Perhaps the likes of Boudicca, ruler of the Iceni people of East Anglia, had taken exception to their rule and had decided to join other tribes to try and repel them. Her warriors successfully defeated the Roman Ninth Legion and destroyed the then capital of Roman Britain at Colchester.

Illustrated by Artefacts

The museum was built above the remains of the headquarters of the Roman Fort in 1914, and opened to the public the following year. The displays delve into the Prehistoric past and are illustrated by artefacts such as a well preserved Bronze Age sword and Iron Age brooches and carvings.

Roman Ribchester is brought to life by displays containing a life size cavalryman, Roman legionary and other interactive exhibits. There are objects including weaponry, jewellery and leatherwork alongside the replica of the famous Ribchester Parade Helmet, which would have been worn by a top cavalry trooper in colourful sports events. The original is a major attraction in the British Museum in London. There is also a sculpture of a cavalryman riding down his Celtic adversary.

Open to visitors are the external remains of the Roman granaries, a section of the northwest rampart and the ruins of the Roman Bath House.

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