The Leader Newspaper Roman occupation dated 76 AD with Spanish cavalry unit Early fort part of a network of forts across the north of Britain - manned by a troop of cavalry from Spain. By Andrew Atkinson The Roman occupation of Ribchester in Lancashire is dated as starting in 76 AD with a Spanish cavalry unit which left at the beginning of the second century. Some time later, towards the end of the second century, the Sarmatians arrived and created a new fort on the same site. Archaeologists spent five years excavating the site and learned an enormous amount, with many important finds.