Bremetennacum

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Bremetennacum, also known as Ribchester Roman Fort, is the remains of a Roman military site at Ribchester in Lancashire, England. The fort stood at a crossing point of the River Ribble and is today a Scheduled Monument.

The first fort at Ribchester was a timber fort built around AD 72–73 during campaigns led by Petillius Cerialis. It was later rebuilt in stone in the early 2nd century. For most of its life the fort housed cavalry, mainly Sarmatian auxiliaries brought to Britain by Marcus Aurelius around AD 175. Some sources suggest an earlier garrison of the Ala II Asturum from Spain, but this is not certain. The fort was occupied for much of the 4th century, and a village grew up around it. Remains of the fort can still be seen around the modern village.

The most famous find from Ribchester is the Ribchester Helmet, part of the Ribchester Hoard, discovered in 1796. The hoard also included various pots, a bust of Minerva, basins, plates, and other items. Evidence from excavations reveals details about Roman diet, including fish like smelt and eel, and animals such as cattle, sheep or goat, and pig. Spices including coriander and dill were found, and several altars to deities such as the Matres and Moguns have been discovered. A funerary inscription mentioning a decurion was among the inscriptions found.

Excavations over the years have clarified the fort’s layout. The Principia (the command building) faced the main street and had a verandah-like front. It stood in front of an Outer Court with a colonnade and wells, and traces of an Inner Court lie mostly beneath a churchyard. The fort measured about 81 by 112 feet, with a verandah of about 8 feet, and the whole fort covered around 6 acres, similar in size to other large forts of the era.

Ribchester has continued to attract archaeological interest. The Time Team television series filmed there, with reenactments by the Ermine Street Guard. More recent work has included excavations by the University of Central Lancashire near the north gate, and a 1993 Time Team episode that explored remains preserved in the back garden of 2 Church Street.