Vindomora

Vindomora
Modern village of Ebchester, and approximate site of Vindomora
Vindomora shown within County Durham
Known also as	Ebchester Roman Fort
Province	Britannia
— Cohorts —
IV Breucorum
Coordinates	54°53′38″N 1°50′19″W / 54.8940°N 1.8385°W / 54.8940; -1.8385
Place name	Ebchester
County	County Durham
Country	England
UK-OSNG reference	NZ103555

Vindomora was an auxiliary fort on Dere Street, in the province of Lower Britain (Britannia Inferior). Its ruins, now known as Ebchester Roman Fort, are situated at Ebchester (grid reference NZ103555) in the English county of Durham, to the north of Consett and 12 miles (19 km) west-south-west from Newcastle upon Tyne.

Vindomora is situated in between the forts of Corstopitum (Corbridge) and Bywell to the north/west north, and Longovicium (Lanchester) to the south. It is located on Dere Street, the main Roman road linking Eboracum (York) with Hadrian's Wall and its surrounding areas. Its position also protected the river Derwent. It is about 13 miles (21 km) south of Hadrian's wall, and was built at the foot of a long descent, sloping towards the north, scattered along the edge of a still deeper declivity, which overhangs the green low-lying meadow of the river valley of the Derwent.

The name Vindomora has been mistakenly understood to signify in Latin "The edge of the Black Moor", perhaps due to the resemblance of "-mora" to the Latin maura (black/dark), or End of the Hill; however, the name is clearly British, with the first part being the windo- (vindo-) "fair/white" found wherever Celts lived. When the Romans had departed from the land, it received the name it now bears which is identical with "Upchester", and signifies "The Camp on the Height. The main road through Ebchester is appropriately named Vindomora road." The fort is only mentioned in the Antonine Itinerary.