A HISTORY OF NORFOLK 



The site of Branodunum is at the ' Wreck,' or ' Rack ' Hill, a short 

 distance to the east of Brancaster village, between the modern high road 

 and the creek which forms the western arm of Brancaster harbour (fig. 17). 

 It is still distinguishable by the fragments of brick and pottery which lie 

 about it, and by the slight but perceptible elevation of its area ; but its 

 walls and buildings have long ago vanished, and little of them seems to 

 have been visible even in Camden's days. In size and outline the fort is 

 stated to have been a square of 570 feet, that is 7I acres, with gateways 

 in the eastern and western sides, but no precise measurements have 

 ever been secured, and I am inclined to consider these figures as some- 

 what too small. ^ Excavations made in 1846 showed that the north-east 

 angle of the fort was rounded, and had within it a small rectangular guard- 

 chamber or turret, and presumably the other three angles were similar 

 (fig. 19). At the same time, it was found that the walls were 11 feet 

 thick, constructed of concrete, and built with facing and bonding-courses 

 of a local white sandstone (fig. 18). At the eastern gate, which appa- 

 rently had flanking bastions, a road 33 feet wide was found to enter the 



PLAN N";"^"- 



MARSHES 



Fig. 17. Plan of Brancaster. Fig. i8. Section of Wall, Brancaster. 



fort, and run 360 feet across it westwards. Some slight indications of 

 structures within the fort were also noted, but much yet remains to be 

 explored. The minor objects found at various dates are not very im- 

 portant or numerous — Samian and other pottery ; objects of bone and 

 metal, including a statuette of Mercury, 3 inches high ; a fourth-century 

 Christian ring, inscribed, vivas in deo (fig. 20). Many coins have been 

 discovered, but few precisely recorded : a Republican denarius (Janus -|- 

 trophy), another of Claudius, and another of Pius, a 'Third Brass' of 

 Carausius, and one of Chlorus : many more appear to be ' Third Brass ' 



1 I take them from Mr. J. Lee Warner's paper in the Norwich vol. of the Archsological Institute. 

 But the plan in that volume (p. i 3) suggests that the internal length from east to west was about 600 

 feet. The length from north to south must be somewhat the same but, owing to the destruction of the 

 south side, is perhaps hardly ascertainable. 



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