Milecastle Explained

A milecastle was a small fort (fortlet), a rectangular fortification built during the period of the Roman Empire. They were placed at intervals of approximately one Roman mile along several major frontiers, for example Hadrian's Wall in Great Britain (Britannia in the Roman period), hence the name.

Along Hadrian's Wall, milecastles were initially constructed of stone in the eastern two thirds, and stacked turf with a wooden palisade in the western third, though the turf milecastles were later rebuilt in stone. Size varied, but in general they were about 15m by 18m (50 feet by 65 feet) internally, with stone walls as much as 3m (10 feet) thick and probably 5m to 6m (17 to 20 feet) high, to match the height of the adjacent wall. There were 80 milecastles and 158 turrets.

On Hadrian's Wall, a milecastle (there are a few exceptions) guarded a gateway through the Wall with a corresponding causeway across the Wall ditch to the north, and had a garrison of perhaps 20–30 auxiliary soldiers housed in two barrack blocks. On either side of the milecastle was a stone tower (turret), located about one-third of a Roman mile (500m or 540 yards) away. It is assumed that the garrison also supplied soldiers to man the turrets. The milecastle's garrison controlled the passage of people, goods and livestock across the frontier, and it is likely that the milecastle acted as a customs post to levy taxation on that traffic.

A system of milecastles (known as milefortlets) and intervening stone watchtowers extended from the western end of Hadrian's Wall, along the Cumbrian coast as far as Tower 25B at Flimby,[1] but they were linked by a wooden palisade and not a wall fronted by a deep ditch, and they had no gateway through the palisade.[2]

Terminology and numbering

The term milecastle was formalised by Robert Smith in 1708, but was in informal use by locals before that date.[3] It generally refers to the installations attached to the curtain wall, with the term 'Milefortlet' being widely used to refer to similar installations that continued along the Cumbrian coast and were contemporary with the Milecastles. Turrets standing between milefortlets are referred to as towers.

Milecastles are numbered from 1 (the easternmost Milecastle) to 80 in the West. This system was introduced by J. Collingwood Bruce at the end of the 19th century, and became a standard around 1930, though Peter Hill has suggested that there may have additionally been a Milecastle 0.[4] Milefortlets are numbered from 1 (West of Bowness on Solway) possibly as far as 26 (at Flimby). The widely used shorthand is, for example, 'MC1', 'MC2', etc. for Milecastles and 'MF1', 'MF2', etc. for Milefortlets. Intervening Turrets and Towers are referred to with an alphabetic suffix, so the turrets to the West of MC20 would be Turrets 20a and 20b, or 'T20a' and 'T20b'. Despite evidence of the curtain wall continuing for around a quarter of a mile west of Bowness-on-Solway, the Turrets between MC80 and MF1 are known as Towers 0a and 0b.

Where the Turf Wall and Stone Walls diverge from one another (just to the west of Birdoswald), Milecastles and Turrets unique to the Turf Wall are given a 'TW' suffix, for example 'MC50 TW'.

Milecastle plans

Gateways

The milecastles of Hadrian's Wall are recognised as having three principal types of gateway:[5]

  1. Type I have piers protruding symmetrically on the inside and outside of the gateway, with responds on both the inside and outside. The piers and passage-walls tend to be in large masonry, and the structure is broader (E to W) than it is deep (N to S, i.e. between the gateways). Examples are MC 38 (Hotbank) and MC 42 (Cawfields). Generally thought to have been built by Legio II Augusta.
  2. Type II have piers protruding on the inside of the gateway, with responds on outside. The piers and passage-walls tend to be in smaller masonry than Type I. Only found on Narrow Wall milecastles; when similar gateways are found on Broad Wall milecastles, it is sometimes referred to as Type IV. An example is MC 9 (Chapel House). Generally thought to have been built by Legio XX Valeria Victrix.
  3. Type III have piers protruding on the inside of the gateway, with responds on both the inside and outside. The piers tend to be in large masonry and the passage-walls in smaller material. Examples are MC 47 (Chapel House, E of Gilsland) and MC 48 (Poltross Burn). Generally thought to have been built by Legio VI Victrix.

Axes

Two types of milecastle are discernible in plan. These are known as 'Long Axis' and 'Short Axis', with the referred axis being that between the northern and southern gateways. The only (known) exception is Milecastle 79, which was a Turf Wall milecastle subsequently rebuilt with stone.

List of milecastles

Number Name
(unnamed, existence uncertain)
Stott's Pow[6]
Walker[7]
Ouseburn[8]
Westgate Road[9]
Quarry House[10]
Benwell Grove[11]
Benwell Bank[12]
West Denton[13]
Chapel House[14]
Walbottle Dene[15]
Throckley Bank Top[16]
Heddon[17]
Rudchester Burn[18]
March Burn[19]
Whitchester[20]
Harlow Hill[21]
Welton[22]
East Wallhouses[23]
Matfen Piers[24]
Halton Shields[25]
Down Hill[26]
Portgate[27]
Stanley[28]
Wall Fell[29]
Codlawhill[30]
Planetrees[31]
Low Brunton[32]
Walwick[33]
Tower Tye[34]
Limestone Corner[35]
Carrowburgh[36]
Carraw[37]
Shield-on-the-Wall[38]
Grindon[39]
Sewingshields[40]
King's Hill[41]
Housesteads[42]
Hotbank[43]
Castle Nick[44]
Winshields[45]
Melkridge[46]
Cawfields[47]
(Unnamed?)[48]
Allolee[49]
Walltown[50]
Carvoran[51]
Chapel House[52]
Poltross Burn[53]
Harrow's Scar[54]
Turf Wall[55]
Wall Bowers[56]
Bankshead[57]
Banks Burn[58]
Randylands[59]
Low Wall[60]
Walton[61]
Cambeckhill[62]
Newtown[63]
Old Wall[64]
High Strand[65]
Wallhead[66]
Walby East[67]
Walby West[68]
Drawdykes[69]
Tarraby[70]
Stanwix Bank[71]
Stainton[72]
Boomby Gill[73]
Sourmilk Bridge[74]
Braelees[75]
Wormanby[76]
Fauld Farm[77]
Dykesfield[78]
Burgh Marsh[79]
Easton[80]
Drumburgh[81]
Raven Bank[82]
Kirkland[83]
Solway House[84]
(Unnamed)[85]

Notes and References

  1. Web site: RISEHOW TOWER 25B. Pastscape. English Heritage. 20 Mar 2012. dead. https://archive.today/20130415134438/http://www.pastscape.org/hob.aspx?hob_id=9039. 2013-04-15.
  2. Stephen Johnson (2004) Hadrian's Wall, Sterling Publishing Company, Inc, 128 pages,
  3. Birley, E. (1961) Research on Hadrian’s Wall, Titus Wilson & Son (Kendal)
  4. Hill, Peter (2001) ‘Hadrian’s Wall from MC0 to MC9, Archaeologia Aeliana series 5, Volume 29, The Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle-upon-Tyne
  5. Stephen Johnson (2004) Hadrian's Wall, Sterling Publishing Company, Inc, 128 pages, pp 31–32
  6. Web site: Places: 967060287 (Milecastle 1 (Stott's Pow)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  7. Web site: Places: 967060277 (Milecastle 2 (Walker)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  8. Web site: Places: 967060312 (Milecastle 3 (Ouseburn)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  9. Web site: Places: 967060316 (Milecastle 4 (Westgate Road)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  10. Web site: Places: 967060354 (Milecastle 5 (Quarry House)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  11. Web site: Places: 967060357 (Milecastle 6 (Benwell Grove)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  12. Web site: Places: 967060352 (Milecastle 7 (Benwell Bank)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  13. Web site: Places: 967060349 (Milecastle 8 (West Denton)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  14. Web site: Places: 967060373 (Milecastle 9 (Chapel House)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  15. Web site: Places: 967060378 (Milecastle 10 (Walbottle Dene)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  16. Web site: Places: 967060371 (Milecastle 11 (Throckley Bank Top)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  17. Web site: Places: 967060410 (Milecastle 12 (Heddon)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  18. Web site: Places: 967060405 (Milecastle 13 (Rudchester Burn)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  19. Web site: Places: 967060404 (Milecastle 14 (March Burn)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  20. Web site: Places: 967060427 (Milecastle 15 (Whitchester)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  21. Web site: Places: 967060428 (Milecastle 16 (Harlow Hill)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  22. Web site: Places: 967060425 (Milecastle 17 (Welton)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  23. Web site: Places: 967060420 (Milecastle 18 (East Wallhouses)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  24. Web site: Places: 967060221 (Milecastle 19 (Matfen Piers)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  25. Web site: Places: 967060224 (Milecastle 20 (Halton Shields)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  26. Web site: Places: 967060215 (Milecastle 21 (Down Hill)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  27. Web site: Places: 967060252 (Milecastle 22 (Portgate)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  28. Web site: Places: 967060249 (Milecastle 23 (Stanley)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  29. Web site: Places: 967060246 (Milecastle 24 (Wall Fell)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  30. Web site: Places: 967060295 (Milecastle 25 (Codlawhill)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  31. Web site: Places: 967060294 (Milecastle 26 (Planetrees)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  32. Web site: Places: 967060297 (Milecastle 27 (Low Brunton)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  33. Web site: Places: 967060292 (Milecastle 28 (Walwick)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  34. Web site: Places: 967060332 (Milecastle 29 (Tower Tye)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  35. Web site: Places: 967060333 (Milecastle 30 (Limestone Corner)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  36. Web site: Places: 967060326 (Milecastle 31 (Carrowburgh)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  37. Web site: Places: 967060269 (Milecastle 32 (Carraw)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  38. Web site: Places: 967060272 (Milecastle 33 (Shield-on-the-Wall)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  39. Web site: Places: 967060271 (Milecastle 34 (Grindon)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  40. Web site: Places: 967060231 (Milecastle 35 (Sewingshields)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  41. Web site: Places: 967060232 (Milecastle 36 (King's Hill)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  42. Web site: Places: 893595278 (Milecastle 37 (Housesteads)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  43. Web site: Places: 967060234 (Milecastle 38 (Hotbank)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  44. Web site: Places: 967060395 (Milecastle 39 (Castle Nick)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  45. Web site: Places: 967060399 (Milecastle 40 (Winshields)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  46. Web site: Places: 967060392 (Milecastle 41 (Melkridge)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  47. Web site: Places: 967060363 (Milecastle 42 (Cawfields)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  48. Web site: Places: 967060368 (Milecastle 43) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  49. Web site: Places: 967060361 (Milecastle 44 (Allolee)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  50. Web site: Places: 967060347 (Milecastle 45 (Walltown)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  51. Web site: Places: 967060342 (Milecastle 46 (Carvoran)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  52. Web site: Places: 967060341 (Milecastle 47 (Chapel House)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  53. Web site: Places: 967060302 (Milecastle 48 (Poltross Burn)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  54. Web site: Places: 967060303 (Milecastle 49 (Harrow's Scar)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  55. Web site: Places: 967060310 (Milecastle 50 (Turf Wall) (High House)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  56. Web site: Places: 967060283 (Milecastle 51 (Wall Bowers)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  57. Web site: Places: 967060278 (Milecastle 52 (Bankshead)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  58. Web site: Places: 967060243 (Milecastle 53 (Banks Burn)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  59. Web site: Places: 967060240 (Milecastle 54 (Randylands)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  60. Web site: Places: 967060237 (Milecastle 55 (Low Wall)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  61. Web site: Places: 967060244 (Milecastle 56 (Walton)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  62. Web site: Places: 967060258 (Milecastle 57 (Cambeckhill)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  63. Web site: Places: 967060265 (Milecastle 58 (Newtown)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  64. Web site: Places: 967060256 (Milecastle 59 (Old Wall)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  65. Web site: Places: 967060290 (Milecastle 60 (High Strand)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  66. Web site: Places: 967060328 (Milecastle 61 (Wallhead)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  67. Web site: Places: 967060389 (Milecastle 62 (Walby East)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  68. Web site: Places: 967060432 (Milecastle 63 (Walby West)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  69. Web site: Places: 967060433 (Milecastle 64 (Drawdykes)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  70. Web site: Places: 967060434 (Milecastle 65 (Tarraby)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  71. Web site: Places: 967060430 (Milecastle 66 (Stanwix Bank)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  72. Web site: Places: 967060218 (Milecastle 67 (Stainton)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  73. Web site: Places: 967060217 (Milecastle 68 (Boomby Gill)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  74. Web site: Places: 967060415 (Milecastle 69 (Sourmilk Bridge)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  75. Web site: Places: 967060327 (Milecastle 70 (Braelees)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  76. Web site: Places: 967060386 (Milecastle 71 (Wormanby)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  77. Web site: Places: 967060383 (Milecastle 72 (Fauld Farm)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  78. Web site: Places: 967060416 (Milecastle 73 (Dykesfield)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  79. Web site: Places: 967060419 (Milecastle 74 (Burgh Marsh)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  80. Web site: Places: 967060414 (Milecastle 75 (Easton)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  81. Web site: Places: 967060411 (Milecastle 76 (Drumburgh)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  82. Web site: Places: 967060324 (Milecastle 77 (Raven Bank)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  83. Web site: Places: 967060320 (Milecastle 78 (Kirkland)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  84. Web site: Places: 967060319 (Milecastle 79 (Solway House)) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.
  85. Web site: Places: 967060359 (Milecastle 80) . Vanderbilt, S. . 13 September 2020 . Pleiades.

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