This is the eighth in a series of events taking us to the sites of forts in Derbyshire, with this one bringing us to Melandra Castle, in Gamesley near Glossop.
Forts were commonplace in Derbyshire from the Iron Age through to the Roman occupation & beyond. They pre-date more substantial castles, which were introduced by the Normans. Although forts were built primarily for defence, settlements often grew up around them & when the soldiers moved on, these settlements sometimes remained. Others were abandoned & are now hardly recognisable.
Melandra Castle was a Roman auxillary fort, originially built in wood & turf around 78 AD & then rebuilt in stone around 120 AD during the reign of Emperor Hadrian. It was abandoned later that century. It may well have been known as Ardotalia at that time, with the name Melandra not being associated with it until the 18th Century. It was likely coined by John Watson, Rector of Stockport, who visited the site in 1771. Only the footprint of the building now remains but excavations have shown that there was a central headquarters building surrounded by six wooden-framed barracks, each capable of housing a Roman century (80 men!). There was also a bath house a little way down the hill to the NW.
This event will allow us to meet up safely outdoors to chat & exchange trackables. I have provided a parking waypoint for the dedicated on-site parking. There is also street parking nearby & the 341 bus service from Glossop stops nearby.