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Here is a model of a granary, based on that of Wallsend (SEGEDVNVM) at the eastern terminus of Hadrian's Wall. The square butresses support a roof which overhangs, thus protecting the slatted windows in between from rain. As one of the principal buildings of the fort I have modelled it as being rendered and limewashed with the customary red paint up to shoulder height.
My evidence for the three vents on the roof is very circumstantial; so much effort seems to have been made in other ways to keep the food dry, cool and free from pests, that it it stands to reason that the roof should also be ventilated to facilitate this.
![[Image: 20hx75s.jpg]](http://i40.tinypic.com/20hx75s.jpg)
R. Cornelius hadrianus, Guvnor of Homunculum, the 15mm scale Colonia. Proof that size does not matter.
R. Neil Harrison
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Neil. I 'm not so sure that I would agree with the rendering on your grannery, the fort at Wallsend shows us a "reconstructed Bath house" that is rendered then again at South Sheilds we have a "reconstructed barrack block" once more rendered. The reason for this is that it hides the brease blocks that these reconstructions are made of, infact even on the inside of the Gateway at South Sheilds we have rendering. However the outside of the Gateway is built in Limestone which it had to be for that was a very serious project and took a public enquiry to bring it about.
There is no evidence for outside walls of inner buildings being rendered at any of the forts along Hadrians' Wall.
Brian Stobbs
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Quote:Neil. I 'm not so sure that I would agree with the rendering on your grannery, the fort at Wallsend shows us a "reconstructed Bath house" that is rendered then again at South Sheilds we have a "reconstructed barrack block" once more rendered. The reason for this is that it hides the brease blocks that these reconstructions are made of, infact even on the inside of the Gateway at South Sheilds we have rendering. However the outside of the Gateway is built in Limestone which it had to be for that was a very serious project and took a public enquiry to bring it about.
There is no evidence for outside walls of inner buildings being rendered at any of the fortshe along Hadrians' Wall.
Well.. although its my model, I'm with you on this one. I have always felt slightly uneasy making these models as rendered and limewashed. The expense of maintaining it like this would be quite considerable. Also I am not convinced that the Pompeii - type red stripe was universal... it might have been a fashion that came and went over a few decades, and was restricted to Italy, although reconstruction illustrations show it everywhere. A few years ago it was suggested that the entire front of the Wall itself was limewashed! But, there is a commercial angle to my models and although I agree with you, at present many seem to think that limewashing was a common practice, so I make - and sell - my models accordingly. You will notice I kept my barrack block as plain stone.
Breezeblocks at Arbeia, eh? The cheapskates!!!
R. Cornelius hadrianus, Guvnor of Homunculum, the 15mm scale Colonia. Proof that size does not matter.
R. Neil Harrison
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Neil. I hope you don't think that I am trying to undermine your projects, it's just that when the bath house was built at Wallsend I questioned this rendering with an archaeologist there and was told oh yes that is correct but then he went on to refer to some place not in this Country where this was evident.
What I do wonder about a grannery is did the buttresses slope inwards as they went up, and was the upper part of the structure wood from the floor level to the eaves. I do know that the reason for these buttresses is indeed to hold against side pressure of grain or whatever is stored there, so it becomes logic to assume that the upper portion might have been constructed so much lighter and this way the buttress could taper without compromise.
Brian Stobbs
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Quote: What I do wonder about a grannery is did the buttresses slope inwards as they went up, and was the upper part of the structure wood from the floor level to the eaves. I do know that the reason for these buttresses is indeed to hold against side pressure of grain or whatever is stored there, so it becomes logic to assume that the upper portion might have been constructed so much lighter and this way the buttress could taper without compromise.
I have heard this theory and personally find it unconvincing. If the grain sacks (or whatever) were placed against the wall of the granary in such a way as to put structural side pressure on a stone wall 75cm thick, it would mean that they would be packed in such a way as to prevent free circulation of cool air, and render ventilation windows usless - or even absent. They would also have to be packed so tightly that no - one could get in! I have come across retaining walls far narrower than this, with far wider spaced butresses, which hold back many tons of earth and rubble. The idea would also suggest that the food was simply of one type (grain) and that it was stored in an haphazard fashion, rather than placed on shelves/bays according to the age and type of food stored. I doubt that the Romans had sell - by dates, but I think that a quartermaster in charge of food for a 960 - strong garrison would rotate food so as to use old stocks up first. In addition, a large mass of food sacks stored against a cold outside wall would be at risk of condensation dampness and mildew.
The current thinking appears to be that the function of the butresses was to support a very heavy roof which projected beyond the main wall of the granary, which was ventilated by many windows. (and was even timber as you suggest). At the same time, the overhanging roof kept rain away from the windows, which were slatted louvre - style to enable free movement of dry air.
That said, there is no reason why the butresses shouldn't have been tapered in some instances, for some of the time - after all, historical theories are rarely mutually exclusive, and there were a LOT of granaries throughout the Empire.
R. Cornelius hadrianus, Guvnor of Homunculum, the 15mm scale Colonia. Proof that size does not matter.
R. Neil Harrison
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A beautiful model!!!
Simon
Simon M. aka BigRedBat
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Neil. I thought I would mention that should you ever decide to create a model of a Roman Bath House the best one around in the UK is that at Chesters or CILURNUM. However it is a third century one but it has an interesting aspect about it for it is built ontop of a Hadrianic Grannery external of the fort on the river bank.
Brian Stobbs
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Quote:Neil. I thought I would mention that should you ever decide to create a model of a Roman Bath House the best one around in the UK is that at Chesters or CILURNUM. However it is a third century one but it has an interesting aspect about it for it is built ontop of a Hadrianic Grannery external of the fort on the river bank.
I have often thought about modelling this building; the fact it is built on a slope with differing levels would make it particularly interesting to do. Do you know of an existing reconstruction drawing/painting?
R. Cornelius hadrianus, Guvnor of Homunculum, the 15mm scale Colonia. Proof that size does not matter.
R. Neil Harrison
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Neil. I have to admit that the Bath house at Chesters looks to be at differing levels however it's not realy, what we see is a building that appears to be excavated out of a hill side. This hill is indeed man made but the bath house is infact all at one level and when one arrives at it from the fort, there is a flight of steps that lead down to it's level.
Where I have mentioned that the hill is man made this was done by the Roman Bridge builders in the Severan period to be able to access the massive bridge that they had built. The bath house is Severan also but it was built ontop of the foundations of a Hadrianic Grannery that stood at the river bank, the reason for this Grannery at the river bank was to store supplies that were off loaded from river barges.
These barges would have travelled all the way from the mouth of the river Tyne and have used dams with pound locks at regular intervals up the river. Infact there is a hole on the south end of the east bridge abuttment where a crane was used for such off loading, and not as has been said by archaeologists to build the bridge abuttment.
The late Raymond Selkirk did find evidence that a Roman dam had been built some six hundred meters down from the bridge, indeed there still is part of a Roman dam standing on the south side of the Tyne at Bywell six miles east of Corbridge.
Brian Stobbs
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Not sure how I missed this one ....Great modeling Neil! I like the details you put into this like the chipped plaster along the exterior. Awesome!
- Steve
[url:a8jteds6]http://www.ancientvine.com[/url]
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Neil. The only people who might help you with drawings of Chesters Bath House may be at Wallsend, for they infact constructed theirs on the measurements of Chesters the ground plan anyway. I think you should contact Tyne and Weir Museum services they may be able to help you.
Brian Stobbs
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