Editing Roman conquest of Britain (section)

==AD&nbsp;84–117==
[[File:Roman.Scotland.north.84.jpg|thumb|right|upright=1.1|Roman military organisation in the north {{circa|84 AD}}]]
Agricola's successors are not named in any surviving source, but it seems they were unable or unwilling to further subdue the far north. The fortress at [[Inchtuthil]] was dismantled before its completion and the other fortifications of the [[Gask Ridge]] in [[Perthshire]], erected to consolidate the Roman presence in Scotland in the aftermath of [[Mons Graupius]], were abandoned within the space of a few years. It is equally likely that the costs of a drawn-out war outweighed any economic or political benefit and it was more profitable to leave the Caledonians alone and only under ''[[de jure]]'' submission.

With the decline of imperial ambitions in Scotland (and Ireland) by  AD 87 (the withdrawal of the 20th legion), consolidation based on the line of the [[Stanegate]] road (between Carlisle and Corbridge) was settled upon. Carlisle was the seat of a ''centurio regionarius'' (or district commissioner). When the Stanegate became the new frontier it was augmented by large forts as at [[Vindolanda]] and additional forts at half-day marching intervals were built at [[Newbrough]], [[Magnis (Carvoran)|Magnis]] (Carvoran) and [[Brampton Old Church]].

The period from 87 to 117 was used for consolidation and only a few sites north of the Stanegate line were maintained, while the signs are that an orderly withdrawal to the Solway-Tyne line was made.<ref name="Shotter2004" />{{rp|56}}

Modifications to the Stanegate line, with the reduction in the size of the forts and the addition of fortlets and watchtowers between them, seem to have taken place from the mid-90s onwards.<ref name="Shotter2004" />{{rp|58}} Apart from the Stanegate line, other forts existed along the Solway Coast at Beckfoot, [[Alauna (Maryport)|Maryport]], Burrow Walls (near the present town of Workington) and [[Moresby, Cumbria|Moresby]] (near Whitehaven). Other forts in the region were built to consolidate Roman presence (Beckfoot for example may date from the late 1st century). A fort at [[Troutbeck, Eden|Troutbeck]] may have been established from the period of Emperor [[Trajan]] ({{Reign}}98–117) onwards. Other forts that may have been established during this period include Ambleside ([[Galava]]), positioned to take advantage of ship-borne supply to the forts of the [[Lake District]]. From here, a road was constructed during the Trajanic period to [[Hardknott Roman Fort]]. A road between Ambleside to Old Penrith and/or Brougham, going over [[High Street (Lake District)|High Street]], may also date from this period.