Exploring this Archaeological Attraction
Facilities & Access
Toilets: there are toilets on site including an adapted toilet, please note there is no baby change.
Picnic benches: please bring along your own picnic to enjoy in our unique surroundings. Please note there is no food or drink sold on site.
Dogs: please note that only assistance dogs are allowed on site.
Accessible routes: the Lunt is accessible to visitors with disabilities. There are pathways throughout the site, ramped access to the museum and adapted toilet facilities.
Our family friendly events are featured on Coventry Rocks
Photography & Filming
You may notice during your visit that there are signs instructing visitors of promotional photography and filming that sometimes takes place during events. If you would prefer not to feature simply inform a member of staff. For U18s we will always ask the direct permission of an accompanying adult.
We are a safeguarding aware organisation and take our responsibility to protect children and vulnerable people seriously. We may sometimes ask that visitors refrain from filming or photographing other visitors. If you have any questions please ask a member of our Front of House staff.
Fort Features
Granary
Granaries were an important feature of all Roman forts. They not only housed the grain for the troops, but also stored valuable equipment. Each fort was supposed to hold a year's supply of food in case they fell under siege. The granary buildings were usually situated in the centre of Roman forts as far as possible from the reach of attackers’ fire arrows.
Granaries were raised off the ground in order to keep grain damp free and to allow air to circulate easily.
The granary at the Lunt was sited to the west of the Principia, and dates to between AD64 and AD78. It was built on top of a structure which has been identified as the commanding officers house.
Ramparts
As with all Roman forts, the defences at the Lunt Roman fort were many and varied. Two V-shaped ditches surrounded the whole fort. These ditches did not contain water, like later castle moats, but wooden stakes and caltrops (metal spikes). In the bottom of the ditches the Romans constructed narrow channels to drain the ditches and to serve as 'ankle breakers' to catch the feet of attackers.
Past the ditches were the fort ramparts. These banks of earth were covered by turf and possibly brambles and nettles making them an unpleasant prospect for those scaling them. If intruders did reach the top of the ramparts, the walls had narrow gaps in them, just wide enough to fit a Roman sword through.
At the Lunt, the defences deviate from the traditional straight line to produce a marked bow shape around the Gyrus on the east side and following the typography of the plateau on the west side.
Gyrus
The gyrus is a large circular structure on the east side of the fort. This feature is unparalleled in Britain.
The ring is 34.06m in diameter with a funnelled entrance and double gate, probably indicating that the structure was used for livestock of some sort.
Archaeological excavations uncovered finds associated with cavalry. This strongly suggests that the gyrus was once a cavalry training arena where the soldiers stationed in the base trained horses for combat. The surface of the arena was kept smooth and level and was covered in sand. The Greek historian Xenophon referred to such a structure as a 'gyrus', but there is no equivalent Latin word.
Though the gyrus was not part of the initial fort design, it was obviously an important part of the fort. When the structure was added, two barrack blocks were shortened and one was moved to accommodate it. Once built the arena remained a constant feature while the rest of the camp continued to be altered and developed.