Page XVI Stanwix to Dykesfield Milecastles 66 to 73

MC66 to MC73 STANWIX TO DYKESFIELD From Milecastle 66 The Wall between MC69 and MC70 Survives as a buried feature throughout the whole of this section. The only remains visible on the ground are traces of the Wall ditch eitherside of Monkhill Beck where it survives to a depth os 2m, having been used overtime as a farm track. To the east of the beck the line probably followed the crest of the river cliff, which is between 10m and 15m high, where a ditch would have been superfluous. The precise location of MC70 has not yet been confirmed, on the basis of the usual spacing it is expected to be located to the north end of Cowen Bank. Roman Mile = 1620 yards = 0.92Mile = 1.48km Start point for this page

BURGH-BY-SANDS ABALLAVA The Name of the Fort Abavalla, from the Rudge Cup, Amiens skillet and Notitia *1Birley208 Leland (1539) first recorded the fort here and Camden sixty years later mentioned it. *2FG181 Location ABALLAVA 5.5 miles west of STANWIX It measures roughly 500ft north to south and 400ft east to west covering about five acres. .*2 FG 181 excavations in 1922 found only the east wall *Birley 208 The site is under the church and church yard and the field north of the road known as Monks Croft.*Birley208 Garrison; 2nd Century, at first a cavalry regiment (at one time ala I Tungorum) Later coh. Nervia Germanorum militaria; 3rd century a military cohort and cuneus Frisiorum, the latter succeeded by the numerus Maurorum Aurelianorum given by the Notitia as sole garrison. The Wall in this section was initially built in turf, and later converted into a stone wall, possibly in the second half of the second century AD. *6 EH

Location Milecastle Segedunum to Pons Aelis Wallsend to 4 Pons Aelis to Condercum 4 to 7 Condercum to Heddon 7 to 12 Heddon to Harlow Hill 12 to 16 Harlow Hill to Portgate 16 to 22 Portgate to Chesters 22 to27 Chesters to Brocolitia 27 to31 Brocolitia to Vercovicivm 31 to 37 Vercovicivm to MC40 37 to 40 MC40 to Aesica 40 to 43 Aesica to Carvoran 43 to 46 Carvoran to Birdoswald 46 to49 Birdoswald to Hare Hill 49 to53 Hare Hill to Newton 53 to58 Newton to Stanwix 58 to 66 Stanwix to Dykesfield 66 to 73 Dykesfield to Maia 73 to Maia Links Contact Privacy Policy Milecastle Plan

This Page is still in development NBM Plans to continue beyond Stanwix Summer/Autumn 2018

The site of Milecastle 66

Milecastles This first plan provided for a wall 10ft wide, 15ft 6 inches high and surmounted by a 6ft crenellation. to the north of this was a 20 ft berm, a standard fighting ditch 30ft by 13ft 6 inches, and a glacis composed of the spoil of the ditch, approximately 60ft in width. At each Roman mile was a milecastle with a north gate opening through the Wall, surmounted by a defensive turret and a south gate. In the original plan there were two barracks and the milecastle maintained a turret on either hand for the patrol garrison. South of the wall was the Vallum, a complex consisting of a 20 ft ditch with a wide bottom section and mounds composed of spoil to north and south. The wall was built to the design width only on the eastern slope. The Milecastles built before the change of plan had 10ft wings on either side. The curtain wall as finally built was substantially narrower and the join is indicated in the diagram. This information and the diagram taken from Richard Devine The Northwest Frontier of the Roman Empire Chap2 pg 27

<<<<<<<<<<<< The site of Milecastle 47

<<<<<<<<< Milecastle No.48 The Kings Stables Poltross burn

References for Page 16 *1 David Devine -The Northwest Frontier of Rome p93 *2 Madeleine Hope Dodds - A History of Northumberland Vol XIII pg 521 *3 J C Bruce - The Handbook to the Roman Wall 8th edition 1927 Pg 49 Map of Magna - Maclaughlan

Milecastles This first plan provided for a wall 10ft wide, 15ft 6 inches high and surmounted by a 6ft crenellation. to the north of this was a 20 ft berm, a standard fighting ditch 30ft by 13ft 6 inches, and a glacis composed of the spoil of the ditch, approximately 60ft in width. At each Roman mile was a milecastle with a north gate opening through the Wall, surmounted by a defensive turret and a south gate. In the original plan there were two barracks and the milecastle maintained a turret on either hand for the patrol garrison. South of the wall was the Vallum, a complex consisting of a 20 ft ditch with a wide bottom section and mounds composed of spoil to north and south. The wall was built to the design width only on the eastern slope. The Milecastles built before the change of plan had 10ft wings on either side. The curtain wall as finally built was substantially narrower and the join is indicated in the diagram. This information and the diagram taken from Richard Devine The Northwest Frontier of the Roman Empire Chap2 pg 27

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