Slack Roman Fort

Slack Roman Fort
Slack Roman Fort is located in West Yorkshire
Slack Roman Fort
Location within West Yorkshire
General information
Architectural styleRoman fort
Town or cityOutlane
Huddersfield
West Yorkshire
CountryEngland
Coordinates53°39′14″N 1°52′19″W / 53.654°N 1.872°W / 53.654; -1.872
CompletedAD 79

Slack Roman Fort was a castellum near Outlane, to the west of Huddersfield in West Yorkshire, England. Its site is a scheduled monument.[1] The ruins of the fort which lay alongside the Pennine section of the Roman road from Deva Victrix (Chester) to Eboracum (York) are no longer visible. The fort may have been the Cambodunum mentioned as a station on this route in the Antonine Itinerary.[2]

Archaeological digs indicate the fort was constructed of turf and wood to defend the Roman road in the time of Agricola in AD 79.[1] Outside the fort walls was a stone bath-house which was extended around AD 104 and AD 120. A vicus or small settlement of wooden huts grew outside the fort.[3][4]

In December 2016, a retired professor from Bangor University, Peter Field, hypothesised that the fort's site was a potential location for the mythical Camelot.[5]

  1. ^ a b Historic England. "Camulodunum (47459)". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  2. ^ Historic England. "Cambodunum Roman fort and vicus, Slack (1005804)". National Heritage List for England. Retrieved 22 December 2016.
  3. ^ Historic England. "Monument No. 47487". Research records (formerly PastScape). Retrieved 10 September 2013.
  4. ^ "The Romans in West Yorkshire Slack". West Yorkshire Joint Services. Archived from the original on 14 June 2014. Retrieved 12 September 2013.
  5. ^ "Ex-Bangor University professor reveals 'true Camelot". BBC News Online. 18 December 2016. Retrieved 21 December 2016.