Metchley Camps

8.1. Map 3

The oldest man-made structure in the city has now been almost obliterated, after lying overgrown but undisturbed, for at least eleven centuries. Until 1791 it was completely traceable, having for some hundreds of years been isolated within Met-chley Park, a hunting preserve, and never re-occupied except perhaps during Danish incursions. Excavations for the Worcester Canal cut through the double bank and ditch of the main earthworks at the south-east corner. In 1876 railway works along-side the canal extended the destroyed area.

Excavations in 1934 confirmed that the camp was Roman and revealed a smaller square fort of 6¼ acres built later than and within the first rectangular camp of 14 acres : the latter was perhaps built as a base for operations against British positions on the Clents, but continued in use as a staging post. The north-west corner was reconstructed in 1954, but the timber-and-wicker watchtower and wall there erected have since been destroyed by vandals. University and hospital ex-tensions have covered all but that corner. Meanwhile excavations have proved that the camp was occupied for much longer than formerly supposed : there was perhaps a small civil settlement as well as the military post, with a number of permanent buildings of timber. This is the only such site known within 15 miles of the cen-tre of Birmingham : a score of Roman coins have been found about the city, but no evidence of settlement.