Roman FortsFacts, Description, Design of Roman Forts
Roman building and their architecture was often rigid - the design of their forts and stockades were tried and tested and always followed the same architectural design. The fort built by the Romans featured and was built and included the following elements. Facts about Roman Forts: Fact 1: A strategic site was always chosen to build the fort Fact 2: A fort could hold up to 800 soldiers Fact 3: The fort was rectangular in shape Fact 4: It was surrounded by a wide ditch Fact 5: A stockade was erected on top of the ditch which formed a defensive barrier made of timber posts Fact 6: A rampart was built using the earth from the ditch, together with heavy stones Fact 7: Each fort had four stone gateways affording an entrance on each side Fact 8: Watchtowers were also featured reaching a height of 30 feet (9 metres) Fact 9: Design dictated that two main streets always crossed the fort Fact 10: Wooden structures were built serving consisting of: *** Commanders headquarters *** houses *** hospital *** workshops *** barracks (sometimes tents) *** granaries *** stables *** a prison Fact 11: There was even a Fire Brigade within the fort Prefabricated Roman Forts
Some Roman forts were even pre-fabricated. The continuous construction of forts and stockade, led to the development of pre-fabricated materials and standard parts. Timbers were cut to specific sizes. Grooves were pre-cut ready for fast construction and the blacksmiths produced iron nails in all different shapes and sizes. The prefabricated Roman forts allowed the Romans to erect their bases with unbelievable speed. Stone Roman Forts
Some of the wooden forts built by the Romans were later replaced with stone buildings. Stone Roman forts and buildings featured one of their great inventions - concrete. Concrete was made by mixing a strong volcanic material (called pazzolana) with rubble and a mixture of lime. Roman Forts
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