By Crasterfarian
Background
Between Milecastle 58 (Newtown) and Milecastle 72 (Fauld Farm) on Hadrian’s Wall, a stretch of roughly 13 Roman miles, no remains of Wall turrets have been found.
This section begins just beyond Turret 57A near Castlesteads Fort (Camboglanna) and ends just beyond Milecastle 72, close to Burgh-by-Sands (Aballava) to the west of the formidable Stanwix Fort (Uxelodunum), home from 160AD to the elite Ala Petriana, the most highly decorated and largest cavalry unit in Roman Britain.
Despite significant archaeology, no intermediate turrets have ever been confirmed here, which is unique across the entire Wall.
Almost all the intervening milecastles have been identified, but not all have exact locations or remains discovered.
This to me would suggest that had there been turrets, some evidence, like the identified milecastles would have been unearthed.
Milecastle Discoveries Between Milecastle 58 and Milecastle 72
- Milecastle 58 (Newtown): Believed to be near the lane southwest of Newtown, Cumbria. A stone inscribed with “LEG II AUG FECIT” was reportedly found here in 1853. A geophysical survey in 1980–81 failed to detect the milecastle.
- Milecastle 59 (Old Wall): Located near the village of Oldwall. No visible remains exist, and the exact location is uncertain.
- Milecastle 60 (High Strand): Position is uncertain with no visible remains. An altar dedicated to Mars Cocidius was found nearby in 1851.
- Milecastle 61 (Wallhead): Located near the hamlet of Wallhead. No visible remains are present.
- Milecastle 62 (Walby East): Identified about 500 meters east of Walby. Excavations in 1999 revealed features like the north gate and internal buildings, though the site had been heavily robbed of stone.
- Milecastle 63 (Walby West): Geophysical surveys and trenching in 1999–2000 adjusted its assumed position. The surviving bottom course of Hadrian’s Wall was recorded in a field boundary.
- Milecastle 64 (Drawdykes): Located in 1962 during excavations; the north gateway and parts of the wall were found, though extensively robbed.
- Milecastle 65 (Tarraby): Exploratory excavation in 1976 revealed foundation remnants and a cobbled internal area. A Roman altar and sword were reportedly found nearby in the 19th century.
- Milecastle 66 (Stanwix Bank): Located near the River Eden in Carlisle. No visible remains exist today.
- Milecastle 67 (Stainton): The exact location is uncertain with no visible remains.
- Milecastle 68 (Boomby Gill): Conjectured location determined by measuring distances to neighbouring structures; no remains have been discovered despite multiple investigations.
- Milecastle 69 (Sourmilk Bridge): Thought to lie near Grinsdale; precise location not found. A 1858 survey noted foundation stones near Sourmilk Bridge, but these may have originated from a demolished mill.
- Milecastle 70 (Braelees): Believed to be between Kirkandrews-on-Eden and Beaumont. A 2000 geophysical survey failed to locate it, possibly due to stone robbing.
- Milecastle 71 (Wormanby): Located southeast of the western end of Milldikes Lane. Partially excavated in 1960 and further evaluated in 2000, revealing parts of the walls and possible internal structures.
- Milecastle 72 (Fauld Farm): Located in Burgh-by-Sands; partially excavated between 1960 and 1989. The stone fort overlaid earlier turf and timber structures.
Notably, there are no turrets at all between Castlesteads and Burgh-by-Sands, a key stretch flanked by two major forts, further supporting the idea of a strategic omission.
Key Observations
- Turret 57A lies immediately north of Castlesteads. Beyond this point, no turrets exist until tentative remains near Turret 72B, just west of Aballava (Burgh-by-Sands).
- The next major fort is Stanwix (Uxelodunum), which dominated the Solway frontier with a 1,000-strong cavalry wing: Ala Petriana.
- The northern Solway coast was within reach of the Novantae, a fierce tribe from what is now southwest Scotland, presenting a real threat of raids or incursions by land and sea.
Proposed Theory
Phase 1: Turf Wall Construction from Milecastle 49 West to Maia (AD 122)
- The original turf wall likely included light turrets, but these would have been timber or turf-based, offering little archaeological survivability.
- The difficult terrain and marshes along the Solway may have prompted a different frontier style.
Phase 2: Stone Rebuild – Abandonment, Reoccupation and an Emperor’s visit
- As the turf wall was replaced with stone towards the mid AD130’s, the section west of Camboglanna was rebuilt without reinstating turrets.
- Milecastles continued to be constructed or rebuilt, but there was a deliberate shift away from the turret system.
- This decision likely reflects a strategic reliance on cavalry mobility between forts, and communication, rather than static surveillance.
- Hadrian’s Wall was abandoned by the legions when they built the Antonine Wall in AD142.
- The Wall was re-occupied in AD162 when the Antonine itself was abandoned.
- Hadrian’s Wall was subject to a considerable refurbishment in the late 2nd Century under command of Emperor Septimius Severus. He came with his sons, Caracalla and Geta (Think Gladiator II), aiming to subdue rebellious northern tribes.
- His campaign lasted from AD 208 to 211, during which he pushed north well beyond the Antonine Wall, possibly reaching the Moray Firth.
- Severus died in York (Eboracum) in AD 211, and his sons abandoned the northern campaign shortly after.
Role of Ala Petriana at Stanwix
- The Ala Petriana, stationed at Stanwix, was an elite 1,000-strong cavalry force capable of rapid deployment. Their name appeared so often in archaeological finds that the early antiquarians thought the fort was called ‘Petriana’.
- They arrived at Uxelodunum in around 160AD as the Wall was being re-occupied after the Antonine Wall was abandoned.
- Their operational range would easily cover the 13-mile gap between Stanwix and Castlesteads, and out westwards to Aballava, especially if detachments were posted at intervening milecastles or from a detachment based at both Aballava and Camboglanna.
- The milecastles may have doubled as small garrisons of Petriana with the towers operating as signal stations, enabling:
- Visual signalling across open terrain using beacons or semaphore.
- Rapid call-up of reinforcements from Stanwix, Castlesteads or Aballava.
Threat from the Novantae
- The Novantae tribe occupied Galloway, just across the Solway Firth, and posed a real threat of coastal raids or incursions.
- Roman command may have assessed that the flexibility of a mobile cavalry response was more effective than passive surveillance by turrets.
- The open terrain west of Castlesteads to Camboglanna allowed line-of-sight signalling, making turrets redundant when coupled with a highly mobile force.
Conclusion
The absence of turrets between Castlesteads and Burgh-by-Sands, was not a mistake or loss over time to the ravages of stone robbers or the plough, but rather a deliberate Roman tactical decision.
With elite cavalry from Ala Petriana stationed at Stanwix and auxiliary support from Aballava and Camboglanna, the frontier could be managed through patrols, signal towers at milecastles, and rapid response rather than fixed turrets.
This allowed the Romans to confront mobile threats like the Novantae with equal mobility, ensuring control over this vital and exposed western flank of the Empire.
With love from the Crasterfarian XX
