Ardotalia

Ardotalia, also known as Melandra or Melandra Castle, is a Roman fort in Gamesley, on the edge of Glossop in Derbyshire, England. It sits at the edge of the Peak District and is among the most intriguing traces of Roman presence in this part of the country.

What is this place?

Ardotalia was an auxiliary fort, a garrison for non-legionary troops rather than a legionary camp. It had room for a cohort of around 500 soldiers. Like other forts of its kind, it had a principia (headquarters building), barracks and granaries. Today it is a scheduled ancient monument, owned by the local council and open to visitors.

Where does the name come from?

Ardotalia comes from British Celtic and is usually translated as "high dark hill". Melandra, by contrast, does not appear in Roman records, so it is a later name. One theory credits John Watson, Rector of Stockport, who visited the site around 1771, though its true origin is uncertain.

When and why was it built?

Most scholars place its construction in the late 1st century AD, around AD 78, during the governorship of Agricola. The first garrison was the First Cohort of Frisiavones, a presence supported by an inscribed building stone. Excavation of a ditch turned up oak tent pegs and part of a leather tent, indicating that the first troops lived under canvas while the fort was being built. Some local historians argue for an earlier date, but that view is less widely accepted.

The location was chosen with care. The fort overlooks the River Etherow and commands the route into the Longdendale Valley. It was also positioned to guard the road from Brough, which crosses Snake Pass on its way down to Glossop.

Rebuilt in stone

Around AD 120, in the reign of Emperor Hadrian, the fort was rebuilt in stone. About twenty years later it was abandoned. In the 18th century an inscribed stone was found here commemorating the soldiers who carried out the rebuilding.

What will you see today?

Do not expect towering walls. What survives is mainly earth ramparts and the foundations of some buildings. It suits visitors who enjoy reading the past from subtle traces, and anyone who wants to combine a walk around Glossop with a little ancient history. The outline of the ramparts gives a good sense of the size and layout of a Roman fort, and the views across the surrounding land explain why this particular hill was chosen.

Frequently asked questions

Are Ardotalia and Melandra the same place? Yes. Ardotalia is the Roman name of the fort, while Melandra or Melandra Castle is a later name still used today.

Where exactly is the fort? In Gamesley, near Glossop in Derbyshire, England.

Can you visit it? Yes, the site is open to the public. Mostly earth ramparts and building foundations remain, with no tall walls.

Who was stationed here? The first garrison was the First Cohort of Frisiavones, an auxiliary unit of the Roman army.

When was the fort abandoned? Around AD 140, roughly twenty years after its stone rebuild under Hadrian.