Uxelodunum

Uxelodunum
Church Street, Stanwix. The fort was in the area around St Michael's church
Petriana shown within Cumbria
Alternative name(s)	Petriana
Known also as	Stanwix Fort
Coordinates	54°54′18″N 2°56′31″W / 54.905°N 2.942°W / 54.905; -2.942
County	Cumbria
Country	England
UK-OSNG reference	NY396571

Uxelodunum (with the alternative Roman name of Petriana and the modern name of Stanwix Fort) was a Roman fort. It was the largest fort on Hadrian's Wall, and is now buried beneath the suburb of Stanwix, in Carlisle, Cumbria, England.

The fort was called Petrianis in the Notitia Dignitatum, but on the Ravenna Cosmography it is called Uxellodamo. On the Rudge Cup it is called VXELODVM. On the Amiens Skillet it is called VXELODVNVM. It is also called VXELODVNVM on the Staffordshire Moorlands Pan. The name Petrianis comes from the cohort that was stationed there. Uxelodunum, which appears to be a latinisation of a Celtic toponym, is thought to mean High Fort.

It is thus likely that the name Petriana was a scribal error which confused the fort's name and the occupying unit, and that the fort's true name was Uxelodunum.

The fort is about forty miles west of the fort of Castlesteads (Camboglanna) and five and a half miles east of Burgh by Sands (Aballava). It stands on a natural platform above the River Eden. The fort measures about 580 feet (180 m) north to south by 700 feet (210 m) east to west, covering approximately 9.32 acres (3.77 ha), much larger than the other wall forts. The fort is adjacent to the Wall, which passes along its north side. Apparently the fort was intended to guard the Eden bridgehead and watch the important western route to and from Scotland.

The fort is now covered with buildings in the modern Carlisle suburb of Stanwix.

Because of the large size of the fort, it is thought to have housed a cavalry regiment, one thousand strong. This was almost certainly the Ala Petriana, the sole regiment of this size on the Wall. This was a distinguished auxiliary regiment, whose soldiers had been made Roman citizens for valour on the field of battle. It seems that the fort was given the name of its garrison, thus supplanting the earlier name of Uxelodunum.