Jedburgh lies close to Dere Street, the principal Roman road through the eastern Borders. Forts, signal points and temporary camps along this corridor reveal how the army moved between northern England and central Scotland.
Discover the Roman stories nearby
Cappuck: a small post on Dere Street
Explore the excavated fort beside the Oxnam Water. A building inscription names the Twentieth Legion, but does not prove that a whole legion lived here.
Pennymuir: reading camp entrances
The upland camps preserve a different kind of military site from Cappuck. Learn to recognise entrance defences; the diagram is comparative, not a Pennymuir survey.
Explore the Roman sites map
Select the local map below to open the interactive view, then zoom or select a marker. Read the evidence notes below alongside it: a marker shows a recorded location or proposal, not proof that a Roman structure survives
Open the interactive map full screen
What the evidence establishes
- Cappuck — excavated Roman fort. Buildings and defences establish the site; its precise occupation sequence should be read from the excavation evidence rather than a tidy list of campaign dates.
- Pennymuir — established temporary camps. Earthworks record army encampments, but size alone cannot identify the force or emperor.
- Dere Street — an established Roman route with varying survival. Some stretches remain visible as an earthwork; a modern walking route may follow or cross it without being identical throughout.
Why this area mattered
The valleys of the Teviot and Jed Water opened routes through the Border hills. Controlling these approaches helped protect communications and enabled armies to advance north.
Plan your visit: what survives today
- Pennymuir: choose this for surviving camp earthworks in an upland setting. Take an appropriate map and clothing; uneven, wet ground and livestock are more relevant than museum opening hours.
- Cappuck: no substantial fort buildings stand above ground. Use the record and modern landscape to understand the Oxnam Water crossing; do not enter private gardens or farmland to seek excavated remains.
- Trimontium Museum, Melrose: a useful separate visit for Roman Borders collections and practical advice about exploring Dere Street.
Sources, finds and further reading
Start with the local articles above, then follow the excavation reports, archaeological records and collections below. Historical reports preserve valuable evidence but may use interpretations revised by later work.
- Cappuck archaeological record and early excavation references
- RIB 2119: Cappuck building inscription
- Rebecca H. Jones (2011), Roman Camps in Scotland — Pennymuir I–IV; plans and excavation history.
- Historic Environment Scotland: Cappuck protected-site record
- Trimontium Museum — collections and visitor information.
Continue exploring
- Explore Roman roads
- Roman forts in Scotland
- Inside a Roman marching camp
- Dere Street: Historic Environment Scotland’s guide — follow the road through the Borders landscape.
- Dating Roman camps — explains why a camp near Dere Street cannot be assigned to a campaign from its position alone.
