Milecastle 27 Explained

Milecastle 27
Image Alt:	Site of Milecastle 27
Location:	Northumberland, England, UK
Pushpin Map:	United Kingdom Northumberland
Pushpin Map Caption:	Location in Northumberland
Pushpin Label Position:	left

Milecastle 27 (Low Brunton) 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 0.4m (01.3feet), but it is poorly defined to the north and east.^[1]

Construction

Milecastle 27 was a long-axis milecastle with unknown gateway type. Such milecastles were thought to have been constructed by the Legio XX Valeria Victrix who were based in Deva Victrix (Chester).^[2]

The milecastle had internal dimensions of 60feet N-S and 50feet E-W. The milecastle is of type IV, with broad side walls.^[3]

The Milecastle was set in the Broad Wall which, at this point had a clay core with facing stones set in mortar, and unusually broad foundations (varying between 3.35m (10.99feet) and 3.5m (11.5feet)).

Excavations and investigations

• 1930 – Milecastle 27 was located on 5 April by Miss T Hepple.^[1]
• 1952 – The dimensions of the Milecastel were established. No coins or inscriptions were found. Only one piece of pottery was found, but it was not dateable.^[3]
• 1966 – English Heritage Field Investigation. It was noted that the milecastle was visible as a low but distinct mound in a pasture field, but that no stonework remained. The milecastle was surveyed at 1:2500.^[1]
• 1989 – English Heritage Field Investigation. It was noted that the milecastle survived as a slight squarish platform with a maximum height of 0.4m (01.3feet), but that it was poorly defined to the north and east. Nettle growth was noted within.^[1]

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 27 are known as Turret 27A and Turret 27B.

Turret 27A

Turret 27A was demolished soon after construction to allow the construction of Cilurnum (Chesters Roman Fort). Therefore, only its foundations exist, underlying the remains of the fort. They are located immediately to the east of the northwest corner of the fort's principia (headquarters block). The foundations measured 3.36m (11.02feet) square. The remaining foundations consist of a single layer of clay and massive cobbles.^[4]

Location on Ordnance Survey 1:25 000 map: 55.0259°N -2.1391°W

Turret 27B

No traces of Turret 27B remain. The position is calculated.^[5]

Location (by calculation) 55.0276°N -2.1457°W

Monument records

Monument	Monument Number	English Heritage Archive Number
Milecastle 27	18300	NY 96 NW 7
Turret 27A	19098	NY 97 SW 1
Turret 27B	19101	NY 97 SW 2

Public access

There is no public access to Milecastle 27, or the calculated site of Turret 27B.

Access to Turret 27A is with English Heritage admission to Chesters Roman Fort.

Notes and References

1. Web site: Milecastle 27. Pastscape. English Heritage. 17 Feb 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150610210912/http://www.pastscape.org/hob.aspx?hob_id=18300. 2015-06-10.
2. Book: David J Breeze and Brian Dobson . 1976 . Hadrian's Wall . Allen Lane . 0-14-027182-1 . 14–15.
3. Gillam. JP. 1953. Excavations on Hadrian's Wall between Heddon-on-the-Wall and North Tyne in 1930. Archaeologia Aeliana. 31. 165–74. The Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne. Newcastle upon Tyne.
4. Web site: Turret 27A. Pastscape. English Heritage. 20 Feb 2012. https://web.archive.org/web/20150611165440/http://www.pastscape.org/hob.aspx?hob_id=19098. 11 June 2015. dead.
5. Web site: Turret 27B. Pastscape. English Heritage. 20 Feb 2012. dead. https://web.archive.org/web/20150611161716/http://www.pastscape.org/hob.aspx?hob_id=19101. 2015-06-11.