Lost Roman Fort?

[BAJR Host]

I received this message today from a good friend in Canada:

I would appreciate some wide views about what he should do.. rather than me just putting my own tuppence forward. (which I will as well.!)

Here is the post. and below is the image. many thanks

quote:I would like your opinion regarding my next trip to the UK. I'm a little lost and don't want to embarrass myself, or waste a boatload of my time on something daft. I have been sitting on this for over a year now, and feel that I have to do something or let it go.

One day many years ago, I came up with a little theory regarding the Roman military occupation of Lancashire, as is my wont, and I started to follow the data to see if the theory could be proved (everyone needs a hobby.) I ended up following a very long, hard trail of quite circumstantial clues, stringing together a load of disjointed information, and I ended up with a spot where I thought there would have to be something. I called up some aerial photographs of the spot and ended up very quickly with the attached photo.

As you can see, it is in the classic playing card shape, and is approximately 5 acres in size, the right size for a cavalry fort. It has rounded corners, which indicate a definite Roman possibility. I'm not saying it is, but it sure looks to me as if it could be...

Here's my question, how should I approach this? Forget about it? The trail was signposted with questionable science and littered with intuition. It is also quite contrary to current thought on the area. It would be very hard, due to the information being very disjointed, and the theory developing over the course of many years, but should I try to write a little report on the trail that I followed?

Any advise you could give would be most appreciated.

"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

[historic building]

Send the information through to the Lancashire SMR and see if they know anything about it or have better air photos of the area which they can check.

[BAJR Host]

Thats a number one!

"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

[historic building]

It always should be, that photo is not a clear one.

[BAJR Host]

I should add that his concern is that all the work he has done will be taken, and he will be sidelined.

Sadly this area has no online SMR/HER.. but I will of course be dvising this course.. (its what I would do in Midlothian too)

any other sources?

"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

[historic building]

well they have a public forum now from your posting. I am remarkably sure that the Lancashire smr officer will not take any glory. name any other source that can provide the context for such an interpretation. The nmr will no hold such detail.

[Cautionary Tale]

A mate of mine thought he located a villa in Lancashire a few years ago (similar circumstances: crop marks and geophys survey only). Well worth pursuing to alert the SMR if nothing else. I can pass on some limited information from memory if that would be helpful and call him up if the sites are relatively close (there were a few locals who were academically interested and helped add 'legitimacy' (too early to think of a better word on a BH) to the research).

I maiali sono alimentati e aspettano per volare

[BAJR Host]

Thanks everyone...

part of this was to assure him that this is what happens here.. part was to have any other suggestions.

I knew them at that SMR - so I was not worried

In fact No SMR would ever nick a site.

"No job worth doing was ever done on time or under budget.."
Khufu

[oldgirl]

Also probably worth checking the NMR AP library and also CUCAP anyway, to see if they have any better photos.

[Paul Belford]

Why not present a paper at the next TRAC conference?