Cataractonium

Roman fort and settlement in North Yorkshire, England, established in the AD 70s by Julius Agricola at a strategic crossing of the River Swale along Dere Street. The civilian town grew extensively by the late 2nd century, featuring shops, houses, and a grand mansio (official guesthouse) covering approximately 4,000 square metres with an 11-room bath house. Large-scale tanneries operated here, and over 62,000 artefacts have been recovered from A1 upgrade excavations conducted 2013-2017. A defensive stone wall encompassing 6.3 hectares was erected in the early 4th century. Post-Roman Anglo-Saxon settlers occupied the site into the 6th century before the settlement shifted to modern Catterick.