Roman Middlewich c 380AD - Middlewich, UK
Posted by: dtrebilc
N 53° 11.545 W 002° 26.639
30U E 537147 N 5893819
This information board on the side of a bus shelter in the centre of the town is one of a series with information about the Roman occupation of this important salt town.
Waymark Code: WMW7TM
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 07/21/2017
Views: 0
There are information boards in the town centre and along the nearby Trent & Mersey Canal canal. As well as information about the Roman occupation each board has two aerial views of the area. One map is a modern aerial photograph showing where you are in modern times, and a second aerial view drawing showing where you would have been in the Roman times.
There is also a timeline of Roman occupation in the area on the board.
Although the Trent & Mersey Canal was only built in 1777, at this part of its route it runs very close to the River Croco and so locations on the canal map very closely to the original river locations.
Roman Middlewich
Piecing the past together
The Roman Middlewich Project is a partnership between Cheshire County Council, Congleton Borough Council, Middlewich Town Council, Middlewich Heritage Society, Gifford and Partners Consulting Engineers and is supported by the Heritage Lottery Fund with assistance from English Heritage.
Roman Middlewich c. 380AD
In the hundred years following the early 3rd century heyday, a mixture of empire wide influences affected the fortunes of the area. Gradually the saltworks declined and became significantly smaller than before. However, the main roads which met on the River Croco crossing point (especially the North/South King Street and East/West road to Chester) remained important. There is even a hint that some of the saltworks in the area had fallen under church control and may have become an interest of the local Chistian community.
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The saltworks either side of King Street still dominate the scene in late Roman times but the settlement is now much smaller. The main road from Wroxeter and Whitchurch to the North (King Street) remains important; and so too does the road to Chester.
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43AD |
Roman Invasion of Britain
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48AD |
Temporary camp built in Middlewich by the Roman army |
70AD | permanent fort built in Middlewich for an auxiliary regiment of the Roman army |
c.130AD | Midddlewich fort dismantled |
150-250AD | Middlewich dominated by saltworks |
300AD |
Saltworks have declined but Middlewich remains a major crossroads |
c.350AD |
Middlewich saltworks under church control? |
c.400-450AD |
End of Roman Britain |