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roman fort, Watercrook
Alauna
Concangium
locality:-   Watercrook
civil parish:-   Natland (formerly Westmorland)
county:-   Cumbria
locality type:-   roman fort
coordinates:-   SD51449069 (about) 
1Km square:-   SD5190
10Km square:-   SD59

photograph
BJT14.jpg  Roman altar found at Watercrook.
 
photograph
BJU71.jpg  What the visitor sees on the ground.
(taken 12.9.2005)  
evidence:-   old map:- OS County Series (Wmd 38 12) 
placename:-  Concangium
source data:-   Maps, County Series maps of Great Britain, scales 6 and 25 inches to 1 mile, published by the Ordnance Survey, Southampton, Hampshire, from about 1863 to 1948.
"CONCANGIUM"
evidence:-   old map:- Stukeley 1723
placename:-  Orton
placename:-  Alona
source data:-   Road map, uncoloured engraving, the Antonine Itineraries through Britain, scale about 55 miles to 1 inch, plotted by William Stukeley, 1723, published London, 1724.
image  click to enlarge
Stu1Cm.jpg
"Alona / Orton"
item:-  Hampshire Museums : FA2001.171
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old map:- Pennant 1777
placename:-  Concangium
source data:-   Map, hand coloured engraving, A Map of Scotland, Hebrides and Part of England, drawn for Thomas Pennant, engraved by J Bayly, published by Benjamin White, London, 1777.
image  click to enlarge
PEN1Cm.jpg
"CONCANGIUM / Kendal"
circle; buildings, village, etc 
item:-  private collection : 66
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old text:- Camden 1789 (Gough Additions) 
placename:-  Concangios
item:-  roman coin; coin, roman; roman inscription; inscription, roman; hypocaust; roman altar; altar, roman
source data:-   Book, Britannia, or A Chorographical Description of the Flourishing Kingdoms of England, Scotland, and Ireland, by William Camden, 1586, translated from the 1607 Latin edition by Richard Gough, published London, 1789.
image CAM2P152, button  goto source
Page 152:-  "..."
"CONCANGIOS is to be placed in Natland chapelry, below Kendal, at Watercrook, so called from a remarkable bend in the river; on the east side of which is a square fort, whose ramparts are very discernible, though the ditch has been levelled. It has been a large station, six chains from north to south and eight from east to west, and contains near five acres, the angles rounded. Urns have been found in a bank laid open by the river, also coins and seals, a lamp, and the inscription below: also an hypocaust, miscalled by Mr. Machel an oven."
"The town seems to have stood between the fort and river, where they still plough up foundations of freestone and cement. Two or three tumuli are near the station, and the round artificial mount called Castle hill, on the west of Kendal is in sight. Dr. Gale has no ground for placing Brovonacae here because one copy of the Itinerary spells it Broconaco. Here was a numerus vigilum in the Notitia."
"In Mr. Guy's yard Dr. Stukeley saw a large altar with festoons and grapes on three sides, and the top of an altar in the stable: at the end of the house a headless statue, on whose head was formerly a crown, now lost; a portable altar seven inches and an half high, defaced by being used as a whetstone; a Faustina large brass, an intaglio of Mercury in a gold ring, another triple headed, and a third. He was told of a large brass urn found with bones in it. Mr. Horsley has engraved a stone vase, most probably a font (No XI.) The latter antiquary gives this inscription built up in the end of a barn here:"
"P. AEL. P. F. SERG. BAS'
QD' LEG XX. W. VI. X'AN
[ET ]. PRIVATVS LIBB. [ET]. HERC
M. LEG. VI. VIC. FC. C. SIC
SEPVLC. ALIVM. MORT
ERIT. INFER. F. D. D. N. N.
INS AI. I. S. VI."
"which he thus reads,"
"Publius Aelius Publii filius Sergia [tribu] Bassus quaestor designatus legionibus vicesimae valentis victricis vixit annos... et Publius Privatus liberti &Hero... miles legionis sextae victricis faciundum curarunt. Siquis [in hoc] sepulcrum alium mort(uum intul)erit inferit fisco dominorum nostrorum..."
"Mr. Ward reads the end of the 1st and beginning of the 2d line, Bassus praefectus equitum designatus; and the last word in l.3 heredes. Perhaps the last line expressed the fine. Gale read it Sergio Basso decurioni legionis -- & privatus libertu & herm - miles emeritus &c si quis sepulcro, and in the last line only two or three strokes as for the sum."
"Before the entrance of the fort is a tumulus:"
evidence:-   site plan:- Historical Monuments 1936
placename:-  Watercrook Roman Station
source data:-   Site plan, uncoloured lithograph, Natland Watercrook Roman Station, Natland, Westmorland, scale about 1 to 2500, published by Royal Commission on Historical Monuments England, London, 1936.
image  click to enlarge
HMW108.jpg
On p.181 of the Inventory of the Historical Monuments in Westmorland. 
printed, top  "NATLAND WATERCROOK ROMAN STATION"
RCHME no. Wmd, Natland 1 
item:-  Armitt Library : A745.109
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   text:- Rivet and Smith 1979
placename:-  Alauna
placename:-  Alone
placename:-  Alione
source data:-   Probably the roman fort at Watercrook, Westmorland, on the River Kent. 
evidence:-   old map:- Horsley 1732
placename:-  Concangium
placename:-  Kendalwater Crook
source data:-   Map, uncoloured engraving, Britannia Antiqua, roman Britain, scale about 50 miles to 1 inch, by John Horsley, perhaps 1732, edition published about 1869?
image  click to enlarge
HOR1Cm.jpg
"Concangium / Kendalwater Crook"
item:-  JandMN : 429
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old print:- 
item:-  inscription, roman; roman inscription
item:-  roman
source data:-   Print, uncoloured engraving, roman inscription on a monument, published by Hudson and Nicholson, Kendal, Westmorland, 1832.
image  click to enlarge
PR0730.jpg
On p.8 of The Annals of Kendal by Cornelius Nicholson. 
Cornelius Nicholson gives a reading:-  "'Publius. Aelius. Publii filius Sergia Bassus quaestor designatus legionis vicessimae Valentis victricis vixit annos ... et Publius Rivatus liberti et Hero ... miles legionis sextae victricis faciendum curarunt Siquis in hoc sepulcrum alium mortuum intulerit inferet fisco. dominorum nostrorum ...'"
item:-  private collection : 125.3
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old print:- 
item:-  roman altar; altar, roman
item:-  roman
source data:-   Print, uncoloured engraving, roman altar, published by Hudson and Nicholson, Kendal, Westmorland, 1832.
image  click to enlarge
PR0731.jpg
On p.9 of The Annals of Kendal by Cornelius Nicholson. 
item:-  private collection : 125.4
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old print:- 
item:-  roman
source data:-   Print, uncoloured engraving, roman statue, perhaps Silenus or Bacchus, published by Hudson and Nicholson, Kendal, Westmorland, 1832.
image  click to enlarge
PR0732.jpg
On p.10 of The Annals of Kendal by Cornelius Nicholson. 
item:-  private collection : 125.5
Image © see bottom of page
evidence:-   old print:- 
item:-  urn
item:-  roman
source data:-   Print, uncoloured engraving, roman urn, published by Hudson and Nicholson, Kendal, Westmorland, 1832.
image  click to enlarge
PR0733.jpg
On p.12 of The Annals of Kendal by Cornelius Nicholson. 
item:-  private collection : 125.6
Image © see bottom of page
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