A dig on the site of Ilkley’s Roman fort has revealed little of the ancient remains it set out to uncover.

Trial trenches were dug at Castle Hill, close to the Manor House Museum, in an archaeological dig funded by property developer Burley Developments Archaeological consultant, Patrick Ottaway, said: “From the point of view of the Roman fort, the dig was not as informative as we had hoped, except that we now know that in this area the remains are well buried below fairly recent material which I suppose is good from a conservation point of view.

“The land form on the west side of the fort was obviously rather different in Roman times and the knoll on which it stood, with a brook to west (and east), much more prominent than it now appears.”

The final report of the archaeologists will be available in the West Yorkshire Historic Environment Record.

The investigation was instructed by Burley Developments, in consultation with English Heritage and West Yorkshire Archaeological Advisory Service. The developer is considering developing houses on the plot, once part of Glover’s Garage.