Mamucium Roman Fort

Manchester's Roman beginnings

Building work on the fort started around AD 79, when the Roman general Julius Agricola was pushing north against the Brigantes. It guarded a road junction, and Deansgate still follows the general line of the Roman road towards Ribchester. The site is now a protected scheduled ancient monument.

What you can see

In 1984 parts of the fort's walls, ramparts and gateways were rebuilt to give a sense of its scale, with a gatehouse and granaries reconstructed alongside. The reconstructions are open-air and open to the public, so you can stop for a few minutes on a Castlefield walk or spend longer reading the site. It is a good place to start a walking tour of Castlefield, and it suits families with children who are learning about the Romans at school, because the rebuilt gateway helps young visitors picture what a frontier fort looked like nearly 2,000 years ago.

Around Castlefield

The fort is part of Castlefield's urban heritage park, among canals, railway viaducts and warehouses. The National Trust's Castlefield Viaduct garden is right next door, the Science and Industry Museum is a few minutes' walk, and Layla's Cafe is nearby for a coffee.

Highlights

• Founded around AD 79
• Reconstructed walls and gateway opened 1984
• Scheduled ancient monument
• Open-air and open to the public
• Next to Castlefield Viaduct

Good to know

• The reconstructions are outdoors and open to the public.
• It sits within the Castlefield Urban Heritage Park, so combine it with a walk along the canals.

Frequently asked questions