ROMAN BROUGH: = ANAVIO. 1 83 



mapped out " The Halsteads " as the site of a Roman fort, 

 and it appears as such in the Ordnance map of the district 

 (sheets X., 6, 10, Derbyshire), from which Plate I. is taken by 

 courtesy of the Director-General. 



In the wall which partly surrounds the field are some not 

 very obviously Roman wedge-like building stones, but it is in 

 the neighbouring village that the more definite traces are to 

 be found. . Opposite the farm-house just near the footbridge, 

 a moulded base of a column is built into the wall, while in the 

 farmhouses themselves are many large dressed stones, one with 

 mouldings, which have probably come from the same site. In 

 Hope village was an altar, exposed to the weather: it is now 

 kindly lent by the owner to the museum at Buxton. 



These are the superficial indications, difficult perhaps, and 

 scanty ; but tradition and record are more definite. A Roman 

 road from Buxton leads conspicuously down the hill in this 

 direction; it is called the Batham Gate, and the ancient fame 

 of Buxton for its baths — its Roman name was Aqua: — has been 

 used in explanation of the name. Again, in constructing the 

 present dam for the Old Brough Mill it was found necessary 

 to cut through the tongue of land in the field adjoining the fort 

 at the conflux of the Bradwell brook with the Noe. It is told 

 that in this work numerous Roman tiles and small objects were 

 found : one of the red tiles was marked COH. This is not at 

 all improbable ; the position itself, at the foot of the slope down 

 to the water, might have independently suggested a likely place 

 wherein to search for the baths or other adjuncts to the fort. 

 Across the Bradwell, again, just above the fort, opposite the 

 northern corner, it is said there used to be visible in the water a 

 number of slender stone piers, almost like columns, arranged 

 regularly in rows.* This, again, is very possibly an indication 

 of the position where the road directly from Brough bridged the 

 river on the way to Melandra Castle. 



There are numerous other small finds and early observations 

 recorded, as described by Mr. W. Thompson Watkin, nearly 

 * Probably hypocaust pillars for the usual bath. — F.H. 



