Roman Hoole
Romans in Cheshire
The Roman invasion of Britain began in AD 43, but it is unlikely that Cheshire was incorporated into the new province much before AD 60. The Romans may well have wanted to establish a permanent border along the Fosse Way (from Exeter to Lincoln) and exploit the peaceful and productive south of Britain, there was still British resistance to Rome from Wales and the North. Late in 47 the new governor of Britain, Ostorius Scapula, began a campaign against the tribes of modern day Wales, and the Cheshire Gap.The fortress was established AD c 74 and was immediately provided with harbour facilities. Its initial garrison, Legio II Adiutrix, left in the 80s. By the mid-90s Legio XX Valeria Victrix was in occupation; it remained at Chester, on and off, for more than 150 years. When Nero became emperor in AD 54, he seems to have decided to continue the invasion and appointed Quintus Veranius as governor, a man experienced in dealing with the troublesome hill tribes of Asia Minor. He was dead within a year, and according to Tacitus: Veranius and his successor Gaius Suetonius Paulinus mounted a successful campaign across Wales, famously destroying the druidical centre at Mona or Anglesey in AD 60. Final occupation of Wales was postponed however when the rebellion of Boudica forced the Romans to return to the south east. Suetonius defeated Boudica, reinforced his army with legionaries and auxiliaries from Germania and conducted punitive operations against any remaining pockets of resistance, but this proved counterproductive. The new procurator, Gaius Julius Alpinus Classicianus, expressed concern to the Emperor Nero that Suetonius's activities would only lead to continued hostilities. An inquiry was set up under Nero's freedman, Polyclitus, and an excuse, that Suetonius had lost some ships, was found to relieve him of his command (and governorship of Britain). He was replaced by the more conciliatory Publius Petronius Turpilianus. Following the suppression of Boudicca, a number of new Roman governors continued the conquest by edging north. Quintus Petillius Cerialis took his legions from Lincoln as far as York and defeated Venutius near Stanwick around 69 AD. This resulted in the already Romanised Brigantes and Parisii tribes being further assimilated into the empire proper.
Roman Camps
Roman camps are rectangular or sub-rectangular enclosures which were constructed and used by Roman soldiers either when out on campaign (as "marching camps" or as practice camps; most campaign camps were only temporary overnight bases and few were used for longer periods. They were bounded by a single earthen rampart and outer ditch and in plan are always straight-sided with rounded corners. Normally they have between one and four entrances. The camp would be large enough to contain up to a whole legion.
The Hoole Camp
The camp at Hoole was discovered from the air on 8th August 1995. Prior to this two camps were known at Upton Heath: one of these "Upton(2)" was first observed in 1964.
This camp is known only from its obtuse eastern angle and attached lengths of the adjacent sides, 351 ft. (107m) of the NE, and 377 ft. (115m) of the SE. Each of the sides has a gateway visible, protected by external "clavicula" defensive outworks, which, if centrally placed in their respective sides, could possibly delineate a rhomboid-shaped camp measuring perhaps 525 ft. NW-SE by about 460 ft. transversely (c.160 x c.140 m). This camp is the westernmost of a group of four camps to the west of Guilden Sutton, and part of a larger group extending from Christleton to Picton. These have been interpreted as having been constructed as practice camps by Roman troops from the garrison at Chester.
Mannings Lane almost certainly follows the line of the Roman road between Chester and Wilderspool (route 701) and according to one theory passed from the junction of Birkenhead Road and Parksgate Road in Chester, probably along Brook Lane (more likely St Anne's Street) via Flookesbrook to Hoole Bank (Margary 1967, 304-5; Petch 1987, 221), very likely along Newton Hollows. Place-name and field name evidence point to the existence of a ‘paved’ road, which is evidenced by Pavement Croft and Street Field in the 1839 Tithe Apportionment of Plemstall and Chester St John. A Roman coin (HER 1924 on Figure 3; Appendix 3) was also situated c. 600m to the north of the site.