Page:Roman Manchester (1900) by Charles Roeder.djvu/81

 border-fortress must be attributed. From the material which has been collected and discussed in the previous pages we shall be able to offer a slight picture, so far as the results of these investigations permit us legitimately to do.

The northern and southern walls measured respectively 175 yards, and the western and eastern ones 140 yards; the station consequently covered a little over 5 square acres and was of rectangular shape, the corners rounded. It was provided with four detached turrets in its angles, and the walls had an average thickness of 7 feet. The foundations were made of clay, boulder stones, rough sandstone, bound together with copious mortar. It had four gates, all irregularly placed, and the northern wall was apparently strengthened by the insertion of six small circular arches at the base. The defences consisted on the northern side of five or, perhaps, six parallel fosses and small ramparts; on the east side a fosse was drawn round to the Medlock, cut into the rock; the southern side was naturally defended by the curve of the river, whose bank was additionally scarped for greater security; and on the west side rose a lofty bank, skirted by a swampy slope that fell away to the Irwell. The northern wall was built immediately into a swampy hollow, and stood in the first fosse, without the appearance of rampart or berme. No trace exists of the gates, which at Melandra were double-arched and had guard-rooms attached to them. At the south-east angle were placed the ovens, cut into the rock, and a well was made near the western wall, where probably the altar of the Rætians and