Metchley Fort

Metchley Fort was a Roman fort located in what is today Birmingham, England. It was an important place built by the Romans a long time ago. The fort was constructed in several stages, following a plan that ran from north to south. This site helps us learn about how people lived and protected themselves many years ago in this part of the world.

History

Roman era (c. AD 48 – c. AD 200)

Metchley Fort was built near a Roman road called Icknield Street, close to where the Queen Elizabeth Hospital and the University of Birmingham stand today in Edgbaston. It was constructed around AD 48 by order of Publius Ostorius Scapula, soon after the Romans came to Britain. The fort covered about 200 square metres and had walls made of turf and earth, with wooden towers and ditches to protect it. Inside, there were wooden buildings such as barracks, a storage room for food, a workshop, and a store.

The remains of Metchley Fort as shown on the 1890 Ordnance Survey map of Warwickshire. The footbridge over the railway is now the site of University railway station.

In AD 60 or 61, the fort may have been part of a big uprising known as the Boudican Revolt. It was left empty around AD 70 but used again about AD 90 when a smaller fort was built on the same spot. This smaller fort was also left empty by AD 120 but might have been used occasionally for training until around AD 200. Near the fort, remains of a small settlement with wooden buildings and a road have been found.

Post-medieval era (16th–18th century)

By the 16th century, a hunting lodge stood on the site of Metchley Fort. It was torn down around 1781, when people first began to recognize the old fort remains.

Discovery and excavations (c. 1781 – present)

In 1781, William Hutton first wrote about Metchley Fort in his book about Birmingham. At the time, many thought the fort was from a much later period. In the 1930s, digging confirmed it was from the 1st and 2nd centuries AD. More digging happened in the 1940s, 1950s, and 1960s. In 1953, the Lord Mayor of Birmingham opened a restored part of the fort, but it was damaged soon after. Later digs in the early 2000s found more buildings, roads, and items from places like France. The fort’s remains are now protected as one of Birmingham’s important historical sites.