Although there is no evidence to substantiate the claim, it has been suggested that Castleshaw Roman fort is the site of Rigodunum, a Brigantian settlement.

The site has been the subject of antiquarian and archaeological investigation since the 18th century, but the civilian settlement lay undiscovered until the 1990s.

It is remote and exposed and lies along the Deva Victrix (Chester) to Eboracum (York) Roman road.

The road crosses the Pennines at Standedge where the area dips and narrows, creating a traversable pass which would have been guarded by the Castleshaw fort.

[5] There was also a small Roman military installation, possibly a fortlet or signal station at Worlow, between Slack and Castleshaw.

[4] The fort at Castleshaw, constructed from turf and timber, was built around AD 79 and guarded the York to Chester Roman road.

[7] The location of the fort's granary, stables, the principia (headquarters), the praetorium (commander's tent), and six long narrow buildings which are possibly workshops or storerooms are all known.

[7] There were two construction phases of the fortlet, the second – dating to c. 120 – featured gates, an oven, a well, a granary, a hypocaust a workshop, barracks, a commanders house, a courtyard building, and possibly a latrine.

[14] Stamps on two tegulae, produced at the Roman tilery at Grimescar Wood near Huddersfield, suggest the fortlet was supplied by the Cohors III Bracaraugustanorum from Pannonia, maybe even garrisoned by them at one stage.

The remains were in good enough condition for him to draw a plan and he commented that he was "pleased to find a double Roman camp".

[18] The spoil heaps from the 1907–08 dig were never levelled, leaving a series of misleading modern earthworks on the interior of the site.

A group led by Professor Barri Jones – an expert on Roman Britain – was set up to co-ordinate the work.

In an attempt to make the site accessible to the public, the outline of the fort and fortlet was marked out in low mounds and an education centre was set up nearby.

[19] It has been possible, however, to ascertain that barrack buildings lay on the east side of the fort, a granary on the north, and the principia and praetorium to the south west.