08-07-2012, 04:08 AM
Hi Nathan
Sorry for the delay.
Obviously my plan is not that clear.
The valley side where the Romans are drawn is extremely steep in fact it is almost an escarpment with the other side of the valley being comparatively gently sloping but both sides rising 55 metres from the valley floor.
Where I have placed the Legions is towards the bottom of the escarpment just above where it flattens out into a long slope up from the River Kennet.
[attachment=4806]Cunetio10.LookingEast.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=4807]Cunetio9LookingWest.jpg[/attachment]
On the top of the escarpment there is as you observe a large area of flat land before the forest but as you say was that always the case – I cannot say.
The Forest Hill area that you mention would have been occupied by the Station / Fort of Cunetio (which should be on the map) and would have dominated the area but I would have expected that the Romans would have sentries around Postern Hill in the old Iron Age fortifications if required.
I have placed the Romans in what I would expect were their battle positions.
When the Brythons arrived I would have expected that the army was based in and outside Cunetio on the top of the hill, possibly behind the agger of the road from Portchester (see diagram)
[attachment=4808]Cuneto11LookingEast.jpg[/attachment]
This would have been defensible in its own right and virtually impregnable because of the enscarpment to the left and the forest to the right.
There is in fact a case for it could be used as a battle ground but there are other factors that make the other battle position more logical.
As you say some of the Brythons may have come from the East but if they did the best route is on the north of the valley where the going is far easier as the escarpment goes on for some miles towards Speen(using the valley bottom route).
Also to the north opposite Cunetio is where Brythons using the Ridgeway would have also joined the site - so I have placed the muster on the opposite side of the Kennet
Equally there may have been Brythons coming from the West along the Kennet valley again mustering on that side of the valley where there was space for 240,000 people.
I can’t comment on the river but we all agree there would have needed to be water for the armies for even to have been there and it is not a huge river at this point more like a very large stream and shallow but enough to water cattle, horses and the army.
The genius of Seutonius Paulinus is that he managed to make the battle site look like the Romans were trapped and they were a tasty morsel for the massed armies which were in fact trapped themselves by good generalshuip.
Sorry for the delay.
Obviously my plan is not that clear.
The valley side where the Romans are drawn is extremely steep in fact it is almost an escarpment with the other side of the valley being comparatively gently sloping but both sides rising 55 metres from the valley floor.
Where I have placed the Legions is towards the bottom of the escarpment just above where it flattens out into a long slope up from the River Kennet.
[attachment=4806]Cunetio10.LookingEast.jpg[/attachment]
[attachment=4807]Cunetio9LookingWest.jpg[/attachment]
On the top of the escarpment there is as you observe a large area of flat land before the forest but as you say was that always the case – I cannot say.
The Forest Hill area that you mention would have been occupied by the Station / Fort of Cunetio (which should be on the map) and would have dominated the area but I would have expected that the Romans would have sentries around Postern Hill in the old Iron Age fortifications if required.
I have placed the Romans in what I would expect were their battle positions.
When the Brythons arrived I would have expected that the army was based in and outside Cunetio on the top of the hill, possibly behind the agger of the road from Portchester (see diagram)
[attachment=4808]Cuneto11LookingEast.jpg[/attachment]
This would have been defensible in its own right and virtually impregnable because of the enscarpment to the left and the forest to the right.
There is in fact a case for it could be used as a battle ground but there are other factors that make the other battle position more logical.
As you say some of the Brythons may have come from the East but if they did the best route is on the north of the valley where the going is far easier as the escarpment goes on for some miles towards Speen(using the valley bottom route).
Also to the north opposite Cunetio is where Brythons using the Ridgeway would have also joined the site - so I have placed the muster on the opposite side of the Kennet
Equally there may have been Brythons coming from the West along the Kennet valley again mustering on that side of the valley where there was space for 240,000 people.
I can’t comment on the river but we all agree there would have needed to be water for the armies for even to have been there and it is not a huge river at this point more like a very large stream and shallow but enough to water cattle, horses and the army.
The genius of Seutonius Paulinus is that he managed to make the battle site look like the Romans were trapped and they were a tasty morsel for the massed armies which were in fact trapped themselves by good generalshuip.
Deryk
