Free learning resources from arts, cultural and heritage organisations.

Previous section
Brigantes

The Roman Fort at Slack

The most significant Roman site near Huddersfield is a Roman fort at Slack, known to the Romans as Cambodunum. It was built by the Roman commander Agricola in 70 – 80 AD to guard one of the main military roads across the Pennines, linking Chester (Diva) and York (Eboracum).  

A highly colourised map titled "Roman Britain Military Organisation in the North (84)" based on Frere's Britannia. It shows Roman roads (red lines) and forts (yellow squares) across northern Britain, including modern-day northern England and southern Scotland. Tribal names like "Otadini," "Damnonii," and "Brigantes" are labelled in faded red text. The map includes numerous named Roman sites such as Eboracum (York), Deva (Chester), Carlisle, and Corbridge. A scale bar in miles and kilometres is provided for reference. The map is oriented with north at the top and includes a detailed topographical background.
Map of Roman Roads and Forts

The regiment which garrisoned Slack was an auxiliary battalion called the 4th Cohort of Breuci. They came from a region in modern-day Bosnia and Herzegovina. Auxiliary troops were recruited from peoples whose land had been taken over by the Romans. They were less armed than elite Legionaries. There would have been around 450 soldiers, plus the commander and his staff, based at Slack. 

The fort was built on a site with good natural protection from streams on three sides. Like most Roman forts, Slack followed the same standard design: a rectangle with rounded corners, with roads crossing from the four gates. The Romans built their forts in the same way everywhere. This meant that soldiers, who came from all over the Empire and often spoke different languages, could always find their way around. It made life easier, the fort quicker to use, and gave soldiers a familiar layout wherever they were sent. 

Most of our knowledge of this layout comes from archaeological excavation of sites, there is little written evidence historians can use.  

Black and white diagram of the Roman fort at Slack, showing a labelled layout of the internal structures and surrounding defences. The rectangular fort is enclosed by ditches and walls with four labelled gates: North, South, East, and West. Inside the fort are labelled areas including Head Quarters, Commandant’s House (not excavated), Barracks, Wooden Barracks, Stone Barracks, Stables, Granaries, and a Workshop. Streets divide the fort into distinct sections. A scale in both feet and metres is included at the bottom, along with the title "The Roman Fort at Slack."
Roman Fort at Slack

The headquarters would have been a large building at the centre of the fort and contained rooms for storing weapons and keeping records.  

The barrack block consisted of two rows of rooms set back-to-back. Ordinary soldiers shared the barrack, sleeping side by side together in one large space, while the officers had their own larger, separate rooms. 

The civilian settlement, or vicus, grew up alongside the road. It would have included traders, craftsmen and families of soldiers.  

Black and white diagram showing the surroundings of the Roman fort at Slack. The rectangular fort is centrally positioned, with internal buildings clearly outlined. To the southeast of the fort is a labelled Bath House, and surrounding the fort is an Annexe Area enclosed by dashed lines. A Main Roman Road runs diagonally across the upper part of the map, intersected by additional paths and labelled points (C and D). A structure labelled Burials 1923 appears in the northwest corner. A stream runs along the bottom edge of the map, and a scale in feet is provided at the bottom centre.
Roman Fort at Slack

Roman forts were usually furnished with a bath house. They served as places of exercise and relaxation for the soldiers. They would be opened to civilians at certain times. The Romans used hypocausts to heat the water through pumps and tunnels under the ground.  

A colour photograph of a deteriorated Roman shoe sole, dark brown to black in colour, with numerous holes and signs of wear and decay. The leather object is laid flat on a white background, with a black measurement scale beneath showing a length of approximately 22 cm, leading to the belief that it was a child or woman's shoe. To the right, a cream-colored tag reads an accession number for museum cataloguing.
Shoe from Slack

A colour photograph of a Roman ceramic head fragment placed on a light grey background. The terracotta head depicts a human face with faintly sculpted features and traces of paint on the surface. To the left of the object is a transparent plastic ruler marked in centimetres and inches for scale; the head is about 9 centimetres long. The head appears weathered and broken at the neck, indicating it was once part of a larger figure or statue. Below the artefact is a white label with the handwritten accession number for museum cataloguing.
Ceramic Head from Slack

 

Daily Life 

Life at the fort and vicus would have seemed very luxurious to the average Brigantian. However, the settlement at Slack was not typical of life under Roman rule. The surrounding area was not rich in natural resources or trade goods, so from a Roman point of view it was of limited value. Because of this, the Romans made little effort to change how local people lived, and for many, daily life continued much as it had before. 

One important change was the introduction of a money economy. The Brigantes had not issued their own coins and likely relied on a system of barter, trading goods and services directly. Under Roman rule, however, they were required to use coins to pay taxes and save wealth, which tied them into the wider Roman economy. 

Photograph of each side of two ancient Roman coins, displayed in two rows. The top row shows both sides of one coin: the obverse features a helmeted bust with the inscription "VRBS ROMA," and the reverse depicts the legendary scene of the she-wolf suckling Romulus and Remus beneath two stars. The bottom row displays another coin: the obverse shows a portrait of a woman with the inscription "IVLIA DOMNA," and the reverse depicts a seated female figure holding objects, possibly a patera and sceptre. The coins appear dark with age but retain clear engravings and relief details.
Roman Coins

The fort was occupied for around 60 years and then abandoned in more peaceful times.