Discover Ferry Meadows, a park with a hidden Roman past near Peterborough, offering history alongside recreation.
Archaeological discoveries date back to Roman times. Roman Point is an example of this history. It is on the Botolph heritage trail and the visitor center is a short walk away. Gravel diggers found Roman things making Overton Lake. Digging halted to record these features well.
Archaeologists found three things at Roman Point: a shallow pond, ditches that drained seven acres, and a Roman barn foundation. They changed the lake to save the barn’s foundations. This helped future visitors see it, while they destroyed everything else at the site. In the 1820s, digs showed a Roman town nearby.
In 2018, a survey revealed more secrets. The Nene Valley Archaeological Trust paid for it. The survey found Durobrivae under Normangate field, about five miles from the park. Durobrivae was a large Roman town.
Durobrivae’s walls covered about 23 hectares. Some buildings were big, measuring seven to nine meters wide and twelve to eighteen meters tall. The survey also found hearths, ovens, and waste pits. Larger pits might have been for gravel.
A 27-acre fort existed on the River Nene’s ridge, now Thorpe Golf Course. It’s called Longthorpe Fortress and can be found beyond Bluebell Wood, in Ferry Meadows. The fort likely dates to 43-44 AD, the Roman occupation’s start.
Heritage Gateway mentions digs from 1967 to 1973. The fort was the only one making pottery onsite. About 2400 soldiers lived there, but many died in Boudicca’s rebellion at Camulodunum, also called Colchester. With so few soldiers now, they reduced the fort’s size.
Now, visitors enjoy the park’s beauty. People visit many places to do water sports, cycle, or fish. If you explore everything, you can learn about the past—the past that existed on this land and nearby.