TheRomanAquaduct

The 20th-century solution to Lincoln`s water problems was to pump
water from Elkesley,Nottinghamshire,20 miles away.Two thousand
years ealier,Roman engineers face a similar problem of having to
pipe water uphill from some distance to supply the colonia,but
without the bemefit of steam or electric engines.

People dug wells and collected rainwater for everyday needs,but
these sorces could not supply all the public works of the colonia.
A pipeline was therfore constructed,which streched north
eastwards for over a mile,at least as far as a spring known as
Roaring Meg.The pipe was made of clay and encased in
opus signinum.Near this possible source,a bridge to carry
an aqueduct was built.Some of the bridge pillars have been excavated.
But how did the system work?Normal gravity flow
was not possible here,as the spring was about 30 metres(98 feet)
lower than the colonia resevoir.Perhaps a raising device,
such as a bucket system or force pump,was used to lift water into
the aqueduct.

Another suggestion is that the source of the water was much further
away and higher up,so that the flow could operate by gravity.The
bridge pillars would have been part of a much larger
construction:in some Roman cities,water was piped from as far as
30 miles away.However,no evidence of pipes from a greater distance
than Roaring Meg has been found yet.

To add to the mystery is the stae of the pipes:the absence of lime
deposits could suggest that water never passed through them.One
conclusion could be that the system was built,but then never worked.
There are instances of such failed grand schemes in other parts
of the empire.

Wherever the colonia`s water came from,there is no escaping the
problem that special techniques would have been required to feed it
into the colonia.The question therefore remains:how exactly was
Lincoln supplied with water in Roman times?

This is the site of a roman water resevoir,or castellum aquae.
It was built on to the inside of the northern defensive wall.
Its base is marked out in the grass.
Standing on a rubble foundation about 5 metres(16 feet) deep,
the resevoir was 16 metres(52 feet) long and lined with opus siginum,
waterproof cement.
It was possibly one of several supplying the colonia`s needs.

The Roman colonia`s water supply and distribution system were highly complex,
and are of national significance.
The aqeduct,resevoir,public baths and drainage system were probably concieved
as a single intergrated scheme.

Public baths played an important role in Roman urban life.
A forum for socilising and thought to improve well-being,
the baths were large complexes,
requiring vast quantities of water and fuel.
Lincoln`s baths were in the north-eastern courner quarter of the colonia.
Hypocausts(under floor heating),tessellated pavements,pottery from Gaul
and glassware,as well as evidence of nearby shops,have all been found in the vicinity.
The baths were not used after AD350,a sign that the elite no longer considered
public amenites a priority.

A sewer ran beneath Ermine street,the main street of the colonia,
with smaller feeders leading from side streets.
It was extremely large-1.4 metres(4.5 feet) high,
allowing for inspection and repairs-and probably ran all the way through the lower city,
eventually emptying into the river.