Derventio Coritanorum

Derventio Coritanorum was a Roman fort and small town at Little Chester on the outskirts of Derby, England. The first fort in the area was built at Strutts Park around 52-57 AD during campaigns of Aulus Didius Gallus, before a new fort was constructed on the present site around 80 AD. Excavations revealed timber barrack-blocks and gilded bronze military equipment suggesting a prestigious cavalry or legionary garrison. The Derwent Valley became a productive area for pottery manufacture, with multiple kilns at nearby Hazelwood and Holbrook producing distinctive Derbyshire Ware, while lead mines at Lutudarum (Crich) supported regional metalworking for some 200 years.