Milecastle 28

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Milecastle 28
Northumberland, England, UK
Heading east out of Walwick - geograph.org.uk - 2890667.jpg
B6318 Military Road at the site of Milecastle 28
Northumberland UK location map.svg
Red pog.svg
Milecastle 28
Location in Northumberland
Coordinates 55°01′45″N2°09′10″W / 55.029086°N 2.152839°W / 55.029086; -2.152839 Coordinates: 55°01′45″N2°09′10″W / 55.029086°N 2.152839°W / 55.029086; -2.152839
Grid reference NY90317054

Milecastle 28 (Walwick) was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall in England. No remains are currently visible. Its location is immediately to the south of the B6318 Military Road in Walwick.

Contents

Construction

Milecastle 28 was probably a long-axis milecastle, though the gateway type cannot be identified. Such milecastles were thought to have been constructed by the legio VI Victrix who were based in Eboracum (York), or by the legio XX Valeria Victrix who were based in Deva Victrix (Chester). [1]

Excavations and investigations

Associated turrets

Each milecastle on Hadrian's Wall had two associated turret structures. These turrets were positioned approximately one-third and two-thirds of a Roman mile to the west of the Milecastle, and would probably have been manned by part of the milecastle's garrison. The turrets associated with Milecastle 28 are known as Turret 28A and Turret 28B.

Turret 28A

There are currently no visible remains of Turret 28A. It was first described in 1727 by Alexander Gordon in Iter Septentrionale, stating that it was

a little exploratory turret of hewn free-stone, a little more than 12 ft. in length, something less in breadth, and about five courses of stone in height.

It was relocated in 1920 about 300 yards (270 m) west of Walwick Hall. [4]

Location on Ordnance Survey 1:25 000 map: 55°01′52″N2°09′38″W / 55.031035°N 2.160512°W / 55.031035; -2.160512 (Turret 28A)

The site of Turret 28B (The site of) Turret 28b (near Rye Hill) - geograph.org.uk - 1250150.jpg
The site of Turret 28B

Turret 28B

Turret 28B is located the normal distance between Turret 28A and Milecastle 29. The site (identified by English heritage Field Investigation in 1965) is marked by slight traces of protruding stonework. The stones were barely discernible, but appeared to outline a structure measuring approximately 4.0 metres (13.1 ft) North-South, and 5.0 metres (16.4 ft) East-West. [5]

Location on Ordnance Survey 1:25 000 map: 55°01′58″N2°10′04″W / 55.032660°N 2.167699°W / 55.032660; -2.167699 (Turret 28B)

Monument records

MonumentMonument Number English Heritage Archive Number
Milecastle 2819104NY 97 SW 3
Turret 28A16677NY 87 SE 1
Turret 28B16680NY 87 SE 2

Public access

The sites of Milecastle 28 and Turret 28A are not publicly accessible. The site of Turret 28B lies just off the Hadrian's Wall National Trail.

Related Research Articles

Milecastle 18

Milecastle 18 was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. It is located to the west of the settlement of East Wallhouses in Northumberland and is visible as a platform in the ground. The milecastle is of a unique construction, having a gateway associated with builders of the Legio II Augusta and a layout typical of the Legio VI Victrix or Legio XX Valeria Victrix. Historians have suggested that it may have been begun by men of one legion and finished by those of another. One of Milecastle 18's associated turrets shows evidence of being used as a workshop, possibly for the repair of shoes.

Milecastle 9

Milecastle 9 was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. Its remains exist partially as a low platform, and are located in West Denton, 300 yards (270 m) from Chapel House Farm. However, the northern part of the remains are now mostly covered by the modern roads (A69/B6528). The milecastle marks a watershed between those with relatively well-defined positions and those whose position are less certain.

Milecastle 12

Milecastle 12 (Heddon) was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. Its remains lay under Town Farm, Heddon-on-the-Wall, with nothing visible on the surface.

Milecastle 14

Milecastle 14 was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. Its remains exist as a low platform, south of the B6318 Military Road and about 1 kilometre (0.62 mi) to the west of the road junction at Rudchester Farm.

Milecastle 15

Milecastle 15 (Whitchester) was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. Its remains exist as a bold platform with robbed walls located on the southern side of the B6318 Military Road approximately 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of its crossing of the A69 road. It has not been excavated.

Milecastle 19

Milecastle 19 was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. Sited just to the east of the hamlet of Matfen Piers, the milecastle is today covered by the B6318 Military Road. The milecastle is notable for the discovery of an altar by Eric Birley in the 1930s. An inscription on the altar is one of the few dedications to a mother goddess found in Roman Britain, and was made by members of the First Cohort of Varduli from northern Spain. The presence of the Vardulians at this milecastle has led to debate amongst archaeologists over the origins of troops used to garrison the wall. A smaller altar was found at one of the two associated turrets.

Milecastle 21

Milecastle 21 was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. The site was identified by measurement only, as the milecastle's remains have been totally removed. This is probably due to extensive quarrying at the site, which now lies under pasture.

Milecastle 22

Milecastle 22 (Portgate) was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. Its remains exist as a low, turf covered platform just east of the Portgate roundabout. The platform is 0.5 metres (1.6 ft) on the east side, reducing to only a parch mark on the west side.

Milecastle 23

Milecastle 23 (Stanley) was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. Its remains exist as a low, grass covered platform with traces of an external ditch. It is located to the south of the B6318 Military Road around 1.5 kilometres (0.93 mi) west of its junction with the A68.

Milecastle 27

Milecastle 27 was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. It was located on the line of Hadrian's Wall, approximately midway between the A6079 and the River North Tyne. Its remains survive as a slight squarish platform with a maximum height of 0.4 metres (1.3 ft), but it is poorly defined to the north and east.

Milecastle 24

Milecastle 24 was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. Its remains exist as a low platform, and are located to the south of the B6318 Military Road around 3 kilometres (1.9 mi) west of its junction with the A68.

Milecastle 25

Milecastle 25 (Codlawhill) was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. Its remains exist as a low platform, and are located to the south of the B6318 Military Road, nearly 5 kilometres (3.1 mi) to the west of its junction with the A68.

Milecastle 26

Milecastle 26 (Planetrees) was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. Its position is slightly to the south of, but mostly covered by the B6318 Military Road., and it is located around 700 metres (0.43 mi) east of the B6318 Military Road's junction with the A6079. No visible traces exist currently. The dimensions are the same as Milecastles 23, 24, and 25.

Milecastle 29

Milecastle 29 was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. Its remains exist as a mutilated earth platform accentuated by deep robber-trenches around all sides, and are located beside the B6318 Military Road. Like Milecastles 9, 23, 25, and 51, a ditch has been identified around the Milecastle, and is still visible to a small extent. It has been postulated that this was as a result of the need for drainage on the site.

Milecastle 30

Milecastle 30 was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. Its remains exist as an outward-facing scarp with a maximum height of 0.8 metres (2.6 ft). Masonry from the east wall remains in situ. The remaining stretch is 3.1 metres (10 ft) in length by 2.25 metres (7.4 ft) thick, and survives to a height of 0.6 metres (2.0 ft). It is located at the western part of Limestone Corner, just off the B6318 Military Road.

Milecastle 31

Milecastle 31 (Carrawburgh) was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. Its remains exist as a turf covered platform beside the B6318 Military Road, just to the east of Carrawburgh fort.

Milecastle 32

Milecastle 32 (Carraw) was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. Its remains exist as earthworks and with no exposed masonry. The layout of the milecastle walls is defined by robber trenches (to a maximum depth of 0.3 metres. The north wall is beneath a modern wall.

Milecastle 33

Milecastle 33 was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall, one of a series of small fortlets built at intervals of approximately one Roman mile along the length of the UNESCO World Heritage Site in northern England.

Milecastle 34

Milecastle 34 (Grindon) was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. There are no visible remains, but the site is within a small, tree-filled, walled enclosure located around 0.5 kilometres (0.31 mi) east of Sewingshields farm.

Milecastle 68

Milecastle 68 is a conjectured milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. The site of the milecastle has been calculated from measurement to known milecastle sites, but no remains providing proof of its existence have been identified.

References

  1. David J Breeze and Brian Dobson (1976). Hadrian's Wall. Allen Lane. pp. 14–15. ISBN   0-14-027182-1.
  2. Bruce, J Collingwood (1957), Handbook to the Roman Wall (11th edition), Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, p. 101
  3. 1 2 "Milecastle 28". Pastscape. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 7 March 2016. Retrieved 20 February 2012.
  4. "Turret 28A". Pastscape. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2012.
  5. "Turret 28B". Pastscape. English Heritage. Archived from the original on 15 April 2013. Retrieved 21 February 2012.

Bibliography