Roman Fort on the site of Dawson's Heights and Wood Vale was once a Roman Road

[Langdale]

Hi there, 

I've recently been reading a book written by a local historian in 1841 (Douglas Allport) which dedicates a whole chapter into investigating whether there was a Roman Fort on Ladland's Hill (AKA Friern Hill or Primrose Hill and later Dawson's Hill – named after the brickworks in the late 19th century). 

Has anyone ever come across this before or have any information about this? I've seen the thread on the subject from 2010, but wondered if anyone had any other information?

It's part of the project I'm working on called How does your garden grow?  https://www.howdoesourgardengrow.com and I am organising a community event and exhibition connected to the area of the old Friern Manor Farm Estate on Sunday 14 July in the St Clement with St Peter church hall - FREE ADMISSION – programme details on the home page.

If anyone has any historical information they would like to share, please contact me via PM or email [email protected]

Many thanks 

Sharon Neish 

[sunbob]

This is an exciting new development! I really enjoyed reading your article and hadn't realised you have an exhibition coming up as well!

I've never heard of a Roman fort up there, interesting!

I don't think it's within the area you're investigating, but yesterday I noticed 2-3 ancient (possibly 'boundary') oaks at the bottom of One Tree Hill woods (on the informal path parallel with Brenchley Gardens).

Thank you for all your work on the local area. The survival of plants over time is very interesting. I'm fascinated by the patches of what used to be grass, which (since taking the pummelling of being walked and jogged on so much during lockdown) are now inhabited by thick little weeds.

[Rockets]

I had always been led to believe that Queen Boudicca had mustered her army on the hill before launching an attack on the Romans from there and then committed suicide on Peckham Rye.

[alice]

I have heard the same story about one tree Hill

[Rockets]

Looks like she gathered on Dawson's Hill. got defeated at One Tree Hill and died on Peckham Rye....

 

https://www.dawsonshill.org.uk/

[Jenijenjen]

For those interested, here is a link to the chapter in Douglas Allport's book about the supposed Roman camp on Ladlands HIll.  He quotes another historian William Bray who had put forward the theory but Allport himself, after conducting research of the site, believed the geological formations were due to the natural land slip common with heavy clay soil. It's a nice read, conjuring up the area from nearly 200 years ago.

BTW @edhistory (RIP) posted on this forum in 2017 that the belief there was a Roman fort on Dawson's Hill was fake news.

https://www.google.co.uk/books/edition/Collections_Illustrative_of_the_Geology/jfMVAAAAYAAJ?hl=en&gbpv=1&dq=douglas+allport&printsec=frontcover

p29ff

 

As for Boudicca being killed on Peckham Rye https://londonist.com/2016/08/is-boudica-buried-in-london

Edited June 18, 2024 by Jenijenjen

[Penguin68]

Boudicca's final battle, recorded as the Battle of Watling Street probably took place in the Midlands, and certainly not south of the Thames. Boudicca's army certainly burnt Londinium and killed many, but it was not here that the Roman Legions stopped her. And it is most unlikely that she would have been brought back to Southwark for burial. Why would you? 

[Rockets]

Boo hiss...I loved that story.....and I still think she made use of the hill to plan her attack, strategically it would make sense! 😉

[Langdale]

I love the idea that there was a Roman Fort on Dawson's Hill and that Boudicca attempted an attack which failed and resulted in her and her two daughters committing suicide on Peckham Rye. I believe this is a story that became folklore, passed down through the generations and that there may be an element of truth in this. I think it needs t be re-investigated! 

[DulwichHistory]

Very interesting. But a lot of people claim Boudicca! One of our members is a geologist abd thinks it is possible that the features interpreted as a fort were due to a land slip. He says that Roman remains have been found in the broader South London area but that at the time of the construction of Dawson Heights, the lack of any pre-construction archaeology was bemoaned.

[MrEd]

Thanks for the fascinating book link and information. While it seems there's insufficient evidence for the fort or Wood Vale as a Roman road, there's certainly well-documented (if, perhaps, not well known) evidence of Roman activity not far to the east of Dawson's Heights because the Roman road from London to Lewes passes nearby.

The northernmost alignment of the Roman London to Lewes road branched from Watling Street just south of the modern Old Kent Road in what is now the back garden of 77 Asylum Road running parallel to the road for some distance under other Asylum Road back gardens. Here the road was built of gravel on a base of pebbles. Passing just east of Nunhead railway station the road runs along the back gardens of Ivydale Road, crosses the Crystal Palace Railway, and crosses Brockley Rise at St. Hilda's Church before heading to Blythe Hill Fields in Catford, turns south and heads towards the coast.

The road is documented in Ivan Margary's book "Roman Ways in the Weald".

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/London_to_Lewes_Way

Some useful modern context and photos are provided here.

https://pengepast.wordpress.com/2017/05/02/a-modest-way-south-east-londons-roman-road-part-1/

There's also speculation that there may have been a Roman vicus (small rural settlement) on or close to the Roman London to Lewes road in Peckham, based on place name and archaeological findings.

https://archaeologydataservice.ac.uk/archiveDS/archiveDownload?t=arch-457-1/dissemination/pdf/vol07/vol07_09/07_09_229_231.pdf

 

[Langdale]

Thanks everyone for responding. I'm continuing my research, as I still can't shake away the folklore tales and still believe that there maybe an element of truth in the existence of a Roman Fort on the site of the  currrent Dawson's Heights. If anyone has any further knowledge please come forward and share.  Thanks MrEd for your last link in your post. It was fascinating to see how close the Roman road (and hence Roman activity) was to our area.