Roman Riverworks
This section attempts to strengthen our understanding of Roman river developments as they may have been implimented in Britain. Very little information exists in a purely local context and it is therefore necessary to look further abroad for evidence of the technology available.
Roman Dams
The Roman dam at Hantes in Belgium. The thirteen small arches each have recesses for lifting cataractae (vertical lifting water doors).
Roman Canal Boats - codicaria.
A Roman codicaria under tow. These light multi-purpose vessels had a mast which was replaceable with a stump mast for towing. The carving shows that each haulier had his own rope and a walking stick. The Romans used these on canals where wind was a disadvantage since it was not constant and caused difficulty in steering.
Hylton DAM -From the NAG Website
This is a drawing (not shown on site) by Ray Selkirk, giving an impression of what the Hylton Dam may have looked like. The view is from the south bank of the river Wear. You can see a Roman Fort in the background, possibly the fore-runner of Hylton Castle.
The drawing illustrates several features that are well known to our group members. Note the Piercebridge style spillway at the southern end of the dam, where there is also a by-pass canal complete with locks. All of the stones showing an upper surface also display a single ‘lewis-hole’. There is a crane on the upstream side of the dam, making full use of the ‘lewis holes’ while affecting repairs to the dam.
There is a cargo vessel tied up on the sea-ward side,
it is being off loaded onto a small fleet of barges for the cargo to be taken
upstream towards Concangis (Chester-Le-Street).
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© Brigantes Nation 2002