| Milecastle 50 | |
|---|---|
 The site of Milecastle 50 | |
  Location within Cumbria | |
| Type | Milecastle |
| Place in the Roman world | |
| Province | Britannia |
| Structure | |
| — Stone structure — | |
| Size and area | 18.3 m × 23.2 m (0.04 ha) |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 54°59′14″N2°36′58″W / 54.987165°N 2.616077°W Coordinates: 54°59′14″N2°36′58″W / 54.987165°N 2.616077°W |
| County | Cumbria |
| Country | England |
| Reference | |
| UK-OSNG reference | NY60676601 |
Milecastle 50 (High House) was a milecastle on Hadrian's Wall (grid reference NY60676601 ).
Milecastle 50 is west of Birdoswald fort. [1] It lies 1391 metres west of Milecastle 49 and 1501 metres east of Milecastle 51. Very little can be seen on the ground other than a ploughed-down earth platform. [1]
The milecastle was excavated in 1911. [1] Excavation showed that it measures 18.3 metres east to west by 23.2 metres north to south. It is built with narrow gauge defensive walls, which are bonded into the Narrow Wall curtain of Hadrian's Wall on either side. It has Type III gateways.
The stone milecastle replaced its predecessor, Milecastle 50TW (High House) on the Turf Wall, some 200 metres to the south (grid reference NY60716583 ). [2] It is the only Turf Wall milecastle without a Stone Wall successor on it. Milecastle 50TW was excavated by F. G. Simpson and I. A. Richmond in 1934. It had turf defensive walls, a timber north tower, and a fragment of a timber construction inscription was recovered recording its construction under Aulus Platorius Nepos.
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 50 are known as Turret 50A and Turret 50B.
Turret 50A (High House) (grid reference NY60206586 ) was excavated in 1911. [3] The north half of the turret is buried beneath the road, and the south half survives as a slight earthwork at the edge of the adjoining field. [3] It replaced the earlier turf wall turret (50A TW; grid reference NY60276569 ) which was dismantled when the stone wall was built. [4]
Turret 50B (Appletree) (grid reference NY59736573 ) was also excavated in 1911. [5] There are no surface remains visible, but a distinct rise in the south wall of the road marks the point in which it is carried over the south wall of the turret. [5] It replaced the earlier turf wall turret (50B TW; grid reference NY597655 ) which was dismantled when the stone wall was built. [6]
Milecastle 48 , is a milecastle on Hadrian's Wall. Its remains lie near the village of Gilsland in Cumbria where it was historically known as "The King's Stables", owing to the well-preserved interior walls. Unusually a substantial section of stone stairs has survived within the milecastle. The two turrets associated with this milecastle have also survived as above-ground masonry.
Milecastle 49 was a milecastle on Hadrian's Wall.
Milecastle 51 was a milecastle on Hadrian's Wall.
Milecastle 52 (Bankshead) was a milecastle on Hadrian's Wall.
Milecastle 53 was a milecastle on Hadrian's Wall.
Milecastle 39 is a milecastle on Hadrian's Wall.
Milecastle 38 (Hotbank) was a milecastle on Hadrian's Wall in the vicinity of Hotbank Farm,. It is notable for the joint inscription bearing the names of the emperor Hadrian and Aulus Platorius Nepos, the governor of Brittania at the time the Wall was built.
Milecastle 20 was one of the milecastles on Hadrian's Wall. It is situated in the hamlet of Halton Shields, and was excavated in 1935. There is no visible trace of the milecastle above ground.
Milecastle 79 was one of a series of Milecastles or small fortlets built at intervals of approximately one Roman mile along Hadrian's Wall.
Milecastle 78 (Kirkland) was one of a series of Milecastles or small fortlets built at intervals of approximately one Roman mile along Hadrian's Wall.
Milecastle 72 was one of a series of Milecastles or small fortlets built at intervals of approximately one Roman mile along Hadrian's Wall.
Milecastle 42 (Cawfields) is a milecastle on Hadrian's Wall.
Milecastle 44 (Allolee) was a milecastle on Hadrian's Wall.
Milecastle 37 is one of the milecastles on Hadrian's Wall. It is immediately west of the Housesteads Roman Fort.
Milecastle 35 (Sewingshields) is one of the milecastles on Hadrian's Wall. The remains still exist as exposed masonry.
Milecastle 36 was one of the milecastles on Hadrian's Wall. There is little to see on the ground as most of the walls have been robbed and quarried away.
Milecastle 45 (Walltown) was a milecastle on Hadrian's Wall.
Milecastle 54 (Randylands) was a milecastle on Hadrian's Wall.
Milecastle 55 was a milecastle on Hadrian's Wall.
Milecastle 50TW was a milecastle on the Turf Wall section of Hadrian's Wall. The milecastle is located close to the Birdoswald Roman Fort and is unique in that it was not replaced by a stone milecastle when the turf wall was upgraded to stone, the replacement wall instead running some 200m to the north. The milecastle was partially demolished by the Romans after it was abandoned. The milecastle was excavated in 1934 and several Roman rubbish pits discovered. The remains of the two turrets associated with this milecastle have also been located. As the turf wall lies some distance from the stone wall, the sites are not accessible from the Hadrian's Wall Path.
Media related to Milecastle 50 at Wikimedia Commons Forts and structures of Hadrian's Wall | ||
|---|---|---|
| Wall Forts (East to West) |   | |
| Outpost Forts | ||
| Stanegate Forts |
| |
| Supply Forts | ||
| Cumbrian Coast Forts (North to South) |
| |
| Milecastles | ||
| Milefortlets | ||
| Other structures on Hadrian's Wall | ||
| Regular and linear features | ||