Crococalana was first identified with Brough by Gibson. The first Roman station on the Fosse, after it enters Nottinghamshire from Lincoln, the Crococolana of the Itinerary, is now certainly identified with the little hamlet of Brough, about one-and-three-quarter miles east of Collingham. Crococolana seems to have been a place of some small importance. An area of about forty acres is thought to have been inhabited, and the objects discovered here show that it was more than a mere outpost or halting-place. No buildings or earthworks are now visible on the surface, and as long ago as 1732 Horsley wrote that ‘ the ramparts at Brough are levelled by the plow’. Recent excavations by Mr Woolley have revealed far more Romano-British occupation. He has dug trenches over a considerable area of two fields lying one on either side of the Fosse, at the fourth milestone from Newark and twelfth from Lincoln. The finds of movable objects were mostly obtained from the trenches dug in the field on the east side of the Fosse. They include coins, pottery, glass vessels, iron tools, objects in bronze, stone, bone and horn, and painted wall plaster. (1)
Excavations in 1905 showed an extensive area of much robbed building foundations with traces of one house with painted wall plaster. The character of the soil and other indications point to an area of some forty acres as having been included within the inhabited area, and the objects which have been turned up by the spade clearly show that the place was much more than a mere soldiers’ barracks. Nothing in the nature of buildings or earthworks appears above the surface. Finds included tile, iron and bronze objects (including cheekpiece of helmet) and pottery of C1-C4. Coins found dated from AD 81-383, with one republican. (2)
Features cut by later defences shown clearly from the air, --/06/1960. A straggling settlement, later given defences which did not enclose it all? (3)
Rectangular markings seen in the stubble, running NW and SE in the field on which the site is marked. This field was partly excavated (1905). Owner has noticed traces over a large area in neighbouring fields, in dry weather (sherds of Ro pottery found on this site by me). (4)
The site falls entirely on level arable land, overlooked from the SSE by a gentle rise. There is ample surface evidence of former occupation and NWM hold a fair collection of material from here. (5)
APs show cropmarks of a series of features on part of and associated with the Ro town. The area already scheduled is c 1/4 of the total area of the town, whose ramparts run in a polygonal area outside it. SE of the road, the town ditch is clearly visible (BCL 75). The present main road is asymmetric to the line of the ramparts. W of the road there is less of the town area inside the ditch, but a series of other features, pits and pit alignments and possibly even more Ro ditches (? a relic of a marching camp established prior to the construction of the town's defences in the later Ro period ?) are visible (VD 90). The photos show irregular street layout and ditches marking property boundaries with very great clarity. (6)
Morph: 202.34.1 Roman Town. (13)
The geophysical survey of land to the NE of Brough Chapel on Fosse Road indicated that structural remains may be present within the site, potentially associated with the scheduled Roman town, although it is possible that they may represent later features associated with the Methodist Chapel. The size of the survey area has made interpretation of the results difficult and extrapolation of wider survey trends is not possible. (14)
NB Many more AP refs available. See L3625, L8483-6 and L10503 for finds within the scheduled area, L3537-8 and L3626-8 for finds outside, L3629 for nearby cropmarks, L5996 and L10505 for fragments of the Roman Fosse Way, L10504 Roman building.

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

JAP 1429/9

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

JAP 1429/10

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

CUCAP NQ84

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

JAP 252/18/23A

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

JAP 252/18/24A

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

JAP 252/18/25A

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

JAP 252/18/20A

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

JAP 252/18/21A

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

JAP 252/18/22A

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

CUCAP NQ85

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

CUCAP BDF40

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

CUCAP ADM45

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

CUCAP ABO99

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

JAP 1429/14

Data Held: Aerial Photograph (Aerial photograph). SNT2645.

CUCAP BVR17

<1> VCH, 1910, Notts, pp 11-15 (Published document). SNT1384.

<2> Thoroton Society, 1906, TTS, pp 63-72 (Published document). SNT333.

<3> Society for … Ro Studies, 1961, JRS, p 132 (Published document). SNT207.

<4> DOE, AM7 - undated, no author (Unpublished document). SNT52.

<5> Seaman BH, 1974, Pers Comm (Personal comment). SNT1252.

<6> Johnson JS, 1974, AM7 (Unpublished document). SNT840.

<7> Camden W, 1695, Britannia - Gibson E (ed), vol 1, p 435 (Published document). SNT537.

<8> Horsley J, 1732, Brit Rom, p 439 (Published document). SNT787.

<9> Whitwell JB, 1982, The Coritani (BAR 99), pp 84-6,104,135 (Published document). SNT1421.

<10> Samuels JR, 1986, AM107 (Unpublished document). SNT1231.

<11> CUCAP, Air photos (Aerial photograph). SNT594.

Other Refs: BCL 75, ABO 98-9, V 117, VD 90

<12> CUCAP, Air photos (Aerial photograph). SNT594.

Other Refs: ADM 45, BDF 40, BVR 17, NQ 83-5

<13> RCHME, National Mapping Programme, Notts - Morph Data (Unknown). SNT1470.

<14> Allen Archaeology Limited, 2017, Brough Methodist Chapel: Heritage Impact Assessment (Unpublished document). SNT5835.