A Brief History of Crayke : The Roman Period

It is speculated by some antiquarians [1],[2] that a Roman watchtower was situated on Crayke hill in the 2nd century AD, though the Roman Itineraries or geographers make no mention of the place.  An ancient track way of the Brigantes, from Teesmouth to York (Eboracum), passed by close to Crayke.  The Royal Society of Antiquaries map of Roman roads in Yorkshire shows a road from York passing near or through Crayke, across Hambledon to the mouth of the Tees, and the Roman road from Aldborough (Isurium) to Malton (Camulodunum) via Appleton and Barton-le-Street would have passed close by.  The first firm evidence [3] for a Roman settlement seems to be the discovery of fragments of Roman pottery (assigned to AD 370-395) and glass during the excavation of a tennis court on the hillside in 1937 at the home of Mr E M Rulter (now Crayke Hall).  Then more recently, evidence of a significant Romano-British settlement was uncovered to the south of the present sports field when the land was being trenched to lay an underground gas pipe.  As reported in the British Archaeology magazine [4], a large stone building of Romano-British date was found, along with a cluster of roundhouses, signs of metalworking and a kiln. The building, measuring over 30 metres by 10 metres, included a portico. It lies near a spring and could perhaps have been a native temple.