A History of Horncastle, from the earliest period to the present time. James Conway Walter
during these and the immediately succeeding years, a network of such stations would be constructed in our own country, connected by those splendid highways which the Romans carried, by the forced labour of the natives, through the length and breadth of their vast empire.
Coins of nearly all the Roman Emperors have been found at Horncastle; one was brought to the present writer in the 1st year of the 20th century, bearing the superscription of the Emperor Severus, who died at York A.D., 211.
NOTE ON ANCIENT COINS FOUND AT HORNCASTLE.
The following list of Roman and other coins found at Horncastle, has been supplied by the Rev. J. A. Penny, Vicar of Wispington, who has them in his own possession.
Consular, denarius, silver.
Œs grave, or Roman as, heavy brass.
Augustus, quinarius (half denarius). B.C. 27–A.D. 14.
Claudius, brass, of three different sizes. A.D. 41–54.
Vespasian, denarius, silver. A.D. 69–79.
Domitian, brass. A.D. 81–96.
Nerva, brass. A.D. 96–98.
Trajan, brass, of two sizes. A.D. 98–117.
Hadrian, brass. A.D. 117–138.
Antoninus Pius, denarius, silver. A.D. 138–161.
Faustina I., his wife, brass.
Lucius Verus, brass. A.D. 161–169.
Marcus Aurelius, brass. A D. 161–180.
Faustina II., his wife, brass.
Caracalla, denarius, silver. A.D. 211–217.
Julia Sæmias, mother of Emperor Heliogabalus, denarius, silver. A.D. 218–222.
Gordian III., denarius, silver. A.D. 238–244.
Philip I., brass. A.D. 244–249.
Hostilian, denarius, silver. A.D. 249–251.
Gallienus, brass. A.D. 253–268.
Salomia, his wife, brass.
Victorinus, brass (Emperor in West). A.D. 253–260. (10 varieties).
Marius, brass (Emperor in West). A.D. 267.
Claudius II. (or Gothicus), brass. A.D. 268–270.
Tetricus I., brass (Emperor in Gaul). A.D. 270–273.
Tetricus II., brass (Emperor in Gaul). A.D. 270–274.
Probus, brass. A.D. 276–282.
Diocletian, copper, a new kind of coin named a “follis.” A.D. 284–305.
Maximian, copper, a “follis.” A.D. 286–305.
Alectus, brass (Emperor in Britain). A.D. 293–296.
Constantius Chlorus, brass. A.D. 305–306.
Maxentius, copper, a “follis.” A.D. 306–312.
Constantine the Great, brass. A.D. 306–337.
Crispus, brass. A.D. 326.
Magnentius, brass (Emperor in Gaul and Britain). A.D. 350–353.
Constantine II., brass (struck in London). A.D. 337–340.
Constans, brass. A.D. 337–350.
Constantius II., brass. A.D. 337–361.
Valens, brass. A.D. 364–378.
Gratian, brass. A.D. 375–383.
Theodosius I., brass. A.D. 379–395.
Arcadius, brass (Emperor in East). A.D. 395–408.
Honorius, brass (Emperor in West). A.D. 395–423.
Byzantine coin, bronze, date not known exactly but later than Honorius, so showing that the Romans held Horncastle against Saxon invaders.
A Roman milestone was discovered in the Bail, at Lincoln, in 1891, [5a] inscribed with the name of Marcus Piavonius Victorinus, who commanded in Gaul and Britain, and which must have been set up during his period of office, about A D. 267. The site of this was the point of intersection of the two main streets, which would be the centre of the Roman Forum at Lindum, one of these streets leading to Horncastle; from Horncastle also there branched off, as will be hereafter noted, several main Roman roads.
As Horncastle stands on the banks of the river Bain it has been taken by Stukeley, the antiquarian, and by others following him, [5b] to have been the Roman Banovallum or “Fort on the Bain,” mentioned by the Roman geographer of Ravenna; [5c] although, however, most probably correct, this is a mere conjecture. On the road between Horncastle and Lincoln we have the village of Baumber, also called Bamburgh, and this latter form of the name might well mean a “burgh,” or fort, on the Bain, the river running just below the village. The two names, however, might well exist at different periods. It may be here mentioned that this form, Bamburg, is found in Harleian Charter 56, c. i, B.M., dated at Wodehalle, December, 1328.
Tacitus, the Roman historian, [5e] tells us that the Romans “wore out the bodies and hands of the Britons in opening out the forests, and paving or fortifying the roads,” and we can well imagine that those skilled generals would see the advantageous position for a stronghold in the angle formed by the junction of the two rivers, and would employ the subjugated Britons of the locality in constructing, it may be, at first only a rude fort, protected on two sides by the streams and in the rear by a “vallum,” or embankment, and that on the site thus secured and already a native stronghold, they would, at a later period, erect the “castrum,” of which massive fragments still remain, testifying to its great strength.
These remains, indeed, in almost their whole course can be traced through present-day gardens and back premises, shewing the four sides of an irregular parallelogram. Their dimensions, roughly speaking, are on the north and south sides about 600-ft., by about 350-ft. at the eastern, and 300-ft. at the western end, their thickness being about 16-ft. The material employed was the Spilsby sandstone, obtainable within five miles, cemented by course grouting poured into the interstices between the massive blocks. These walls inclose a portion of the High Street as far eastward as the site of the present Corn Exchange, westward they include the present manor house and form the boundary of the churchyard in that direction. On the north they run at the back of the houses on that side of the Market Place, and on the south they extend from St. Mary’s Square, past the Grammar School, and through sundry yards, parallel with the branch of the canal, which is the old Waring river. The masonry of these walls, as now seen, is very rude. It is supposed that, originally as built by the Romans, they had an external coating of neat structure, but this has entirely disappeared, it is still, however, to be seen in the wells, which are next to be described.
In a cellar, south of the High Street, at a baker’s shop, and close to the eastern wall of the castle, is a Roman well; there is another close to the north-east angle of the castle walls, in what is called Dog-kennel Yard, and a third just within the western wall, near the present National Schools. Thus, although the two rivers were without the castle walls, the Roman garrison was well supplied with water.
The Roman roads branching from the town were (1st) the “Ramper,” [6a] as it is still called, running north-west, and connecting it with the Roman station Lindum; from this, at Baumber, [6b] distant about 4 miles, a branch running northwards led to the Roman Castrum, now Caistor; (2nd) north-eastwards via West Ashby, being the highway to Louth, the Roman Luda; (3rd) eastwards, by High Toynton, Greetham, &c, to Waynflete, the Roman Vain-ona; (4th) southward, by Dalderby, Haltham, &c., to Leeds Gate, Chapel Hill, and there crossing the river Witham to Sleaford and Ancaster, the Roman Causennæ, situated on the great Roman Ermin Street. This also was continued to another Roman Castrum, now Castor, near Peterborough; (5th) south-west, by Thornton, &c., to Tattershall,