Roman Leintwardine - the background

This locality was of strategic importance even before the arrival of the Romans as shown by the construction of Brandon camp in the Iron Age. The Romans not only built a settlement in Leintwardine but two temporary local “marching camps” and three cavalry forts notably at Buckton. The presence of Watling Street West is another reminder of Roman activity and is still in use today as the High Street. Confusingly Watling Street was almost certainly the former name of the High Street prior to the building of today’s bridge on a different alignment to its predecessor.
It was the road which gave rise to the early Roman settlement in Leintwardine. It was probably named “Branogenio”, which has been corrupted over the years to become “Bravinium” .In all probability this early settlement included a “mansion” which acted as a staging post for the Roman communications system. There is no modern equivalent of a “mansion” but a motel might be the closest. It would have provided fresh horses, sleeping accommodation and food. As a result a small number of other buildings grew up around it – workshops, shops, houses and a bath house.
By the 2nd century the military frontier had shifted and the importance of Branogenio may have declined to that of a rural settlement without the trading hustle and bustle of its earlier years.
In the late 2nd century massive ramparts were built around Branogenio. This shows that the Romans either still thought it was a place worth defending during a time of much unrest, or because they changed its character completely and turned it into a military fort. These defences were repaired in the 3rd and 4th centuries and archaeological evidence points to there still being occupation within them.
Some examples of archaeological finds from Branogenio can be found by clicking on “Leintwardine Roman kitchen” in the side menu.