Crococalana – The Roman Town That Time (Almost) Forgot

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If you’ve ever driven through the Nottinghamshire countryside and thought, “This field looks suspiciously historic,” you might have been passing over the remains of Crococalana—a Roman town with a name that sounds like a prehistoric creature but was, in fact, a thriving settlement just a few miles from modern-day Newark-on-Trent.

What’s in a Name?

Crococalana (try saying that three times fast) was a Roman town located near the present-day village of Brough, just northeast of Newark. Its name appears in the Antonine Itinerary, a sort of Roman satnav from the 2nd century AD. While scholars still debate the exact meaning, it’s safe to say it was more about roads and rest stops than reptiles.

Location, Location, Legion

Strategically plonked along the Fosse Way, Crococalana was the Roman equivalent of a motorway junction—minus the Greggs. It sat between Margidunum (near Bingham) and Lindum Colonia (modern Lincoln), making it a key stop for soldiers, merchants, and anyone else brave enough to travel in sandals.

The site was a rectangular defended area, roughly 700 by 500 feet, surrounded by ditches. Inside, archaeologists have found crop marks indicating pits, floors, and walls—basically, the Roman version of a housing estate. There’s even evidence of a separate enclosure with a rectangular building, possibly a mansio (a kind of Roman Travelodge for officials).

Digging Up the Past

Excavations have unearthed coins, pottery, glassware, iron tools, and objects made of bronze, bone, and horn. The presence of painted wall plaster suggests that some of the buildings were quite posh—think underfloor heating and mosaic envy. Crococalana wasn’t just a military outpost; it was a proper town with infrastructure, trade, and probably a few gossiping neighbours.

Newark’s Roman Roots

While Crococalana itself lies just outside Newark’s modern boundaries, its influence was felt throughout the region. The Fosse Way connected it directly to Ad Pontem and Margidunum, forming a Roman triangle of trade, travel, and tactical advantage. Newark-on-Trent, though not a Roman town itself, owes much of its early development to the infrastructure laid down by these ancient neighbours.

What’s There Now?

Today, Crococalana is mostly farmland. No grand ruins, no columns, no toga-clad tour guides. But beneath the soil lies a rich archaeological record, and the site is protected as a Scheduled Monument. Artifacts from Crococalana can be found in museums across the East Midlands, including Newark’s own National Civil War Centre—because why not mix your Romans with your Roundheads?

Conclusion: A Town Worth Remembering

Crococalana may not have the fame of Pompeii or the glamour of Rome, but it played a vital role in the Romanisation of Britain—and in the early story of Newark-on-Trent. So next time you’re driving past Brough, give a little wave to the fields. You’re passing through history, even if it’s wearing a very convincing disguise of wheat.