Page:Archaeological Journal, Volume 6.djvu/353

IN THE NORTH KIDING OF YORKSHIRE. 215 forms the east side of our triangle, commencing at the south extremity, near to Catterick Bridge. Most writers on the Roman antiquities at Catterick have placed the station of Cataractonium ^ in Thornbrough ^ Pasture ; but it remained for Sir William Lawson, the present proprietor of this spot, to discover the foundations, and thus to place the site beyond doubt. The station appears to have been placed on a gently rishig ground, on the south bank of the Swale, about 180 yards above Catterick Bridge, in a field known as Thornbrough Pasture. About half of the east wall has been uncovered, from about the centre to the south-east angle, which is rounded off; thence in continuation, the south wall has been laid bare by digging, as far as the gatew^ay, on which the road from Aldborough (Isurium) runs in a straight line, as may be traced across the fields. The remains, consisting of two or three courses of masonry, standing on the foundation course, are 7 ft. 6 in. in thickness, and without slope, as far as can be seen at present ; the length on each front that has been opened, may be about 90 yards, and the depth of the excavation from 2 to 3 feet below the surface. The bearings of these founda- tions run in the direction of the four cardinal points, hy compass, and the north wall must run nearly parallel to the course of the River Swale. The Roman Way from Isurium forms at the gateway an angle with the south front ; and that in continuation towards the north leaves the north fi'ont at the same angle, the two roads forming an angle of 150^, with the angular point towards the west ; the east front consequently has been drawn at right angles to the line bisecting this angle of the roads.'* How far the walls extended to the westward is yet to be discovered ; but, from an irregular line of defence which has been uncovered, and which commences about the same distance from the south gate, that the gate is from the south-east angle, it seems probable that the gate where the road entered, will be found to be in the centre of the front. Should this be the case, the camp will have been com- 2 Probably derived from Cacr-Oar-ich, ^ The Roman Station at Lincoln appcai-s Brit., — Camp on the water. to have been formed at an angular point •* The frequency of the occurrence of of the Roman Way in a similar manner ; the word Thorn, (Thor) at places of though at Lincoln the angiilai" point is defence, renders it probable that the towards the east, camps were dedicated to the Norse Deity.