Derventio (Papcastle)

Derventio was a Roman settlement at Papcastle on the river Derwent near Cockermouth, Cumbria, England. It was the site of a Roman fort, which was originally built in timber and rebuilt in stone.[1] There was also a civilian settlement (vicus). It is sometimes called Derventio Carvetiorum by modern writers (after the people known as the Carvetii) to distinguish it from other places named Derventio, but there is no evidence of that extended name being used in the Roman period.

A major Roman road linked Derventio to Old Carlisle near Wigton and Carlisle itself (Luguvalium) to the northeast, whilst a separate road led northwest to the coastal fort of Alauna just north of Maryport.

In the 12th century the Normans removed Roman stonework from the site and used it to build Cockermouth Castle.[2]

  1. ^ The name is known from the Ravenna Cosmography. See Esmonde Cleary, A., DARMC, R. Talbert, S. Gillies, S. Vanderbilt, R. Warner, J. Becker, T. Elliott. "Places: 89165 (Derventio)". Pleiades (pleiades.stoa.org). Retrieved 2 January 2016.{{cite web}}: CS1 maint: multiple names: authors list (link)
  2. ^ "Cockermouth Castle". Heritage Open Days. September 2015. Archived from the original on 18 February 2016. Retrieved 6 January 2016.