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start of The Wall |
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Page 226:-
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Tipalt Burn
Chapel House
Pow Charney Burn
Foul Town
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"From Carrvoran or the head of the hill just over against
it, down to Tippal water, both the walls and ditches are
very conspicuous. They leave Thirlwel castle to the
north. Here, according to tradition, the Scots and Picts
broke through the wall. But the castle might be so called
from the passage of the river through the wall. Just beyond
Tippal water and this castle Hadrian's vallum makes a
little turn, whereby the walls begin to diverge, and
Hadrian's vallum becomes more obscure. Farther west,
at a house called the Chapel, which stands within a
castellum, the walls are about five chains distant
from one another. For about a quarter of a mile before,
Hadrian's vallum and ditch, the south and north
agger, are all in the second or third degree. But at
the Chapel all of them again begin to be obscure. For the
space between the two rivers Tippal and
Poucherling, Hadrian's work is mostly in the second
degree, and from thence, except a little here and there,
continues obscure to Burdoswald. But near the chapel
Severus's ditch is very large, being in the third or fourth
degree, and the wall itself in the second. The military way
is also visible in the first or second degree. At
Foultown the way is lost, but the wall and ditch
continue in the second degree. And Hadrian's north
agger is here and there pretty large.
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Gap
River Irthing
Milecastle 48
Poltross Burn
Mumps Hall
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"Near the Gap the distance between the walls is about
six chains. And not far from this, there is for a good space
somewhat like a vast agger on the north brink of
Severus's ditch, but whether natural or artificial I know
not. Just on the west side of Poltross water a
castellum is visible; and about two furlongs west
from this castellum the walls are within a chain of each
other, and continue so almost all the way till they cross
Irthing water near Burdoswold. On the west side of
the rivulet called Poltross, and near Mumps hall,
Severus's ditch appears large and distinct, being detached
about eight yards from the wall. I measured it about 30 foot
wide at the top and 15 at the bottom, and its depth about
ten.
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Willowford
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"At the Willoford on the east side of the river the
military way seemed to be south of both walls, and at the
head of the bank on the west side near Burdoswold there
seemed to be a military way on the north of them both, which
was pretty visible. If the appearance be not mistaken, this
is the only instance of Severus's military way running out
from between the two walls in their whole track. I saw no
remains of a bridge, either at Poltross or Irthing. The bank
of the river Irthing on the west side, to which the wall
points, is very steep and high, but it seems to have become
more so of late years from the falling away of the sandy
bank. But the declivity on each side of the water must
probably have been always considerable; because the military
way here fetches a compass and goes sloping down the one
side and up the other.
"From Carrvoran to Burdoswald is just two miles and three
quarters. And in this space are three visible
castella, the intervals equal, and just six furlongs
and a half.
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12. AMBOGLANNA.
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Voreda
Birdoswald
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"The fort of BURDOSWALD stands upon a large plain, at the
head of a steep descent towards the river, having the
out-buildings chiefly on the south-east. Severus's wall
(which before it reaches the fort is in the third degree,
though the ditch be only in the second at the most) forms
the north rampart of this station; and Hadrian's
vallum, which is lost near the fort, must have fallen
in with the southern. The foundations of the houses within
this fort are very visible. I measured the thickness of
their walls, and found them to be about 28 inches, and the
distance or breadth of the passage between the rows of
houses or barracks to be no more than 32 inches. The
ramparts about the fort are in the third degree, and the
ditch in the second, excepting on the north side, where it
is not so much. The foundation of the west rampart is
distinct, and measured about five foot. There are regular
entries visible on the north and south sides, opposite one
to another, as also faint appearances of entries on the east
and west. In the northern part of the station there seem to
be the remains of a temple. The turrets in the south rampart
on each side the gate are still very visible; and
over-against the entry are the ruins of the
praetorium, on which a house or two stand at present.
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Midgholme Foot
High House
Wall Bowers
Banks
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"From this fort westward for about a mile, Severus's wall
shews itself between two and three degrees; but Hadrian's
vallum is obscure at first, though afterwards, at a
distance, both it and the ditch appear in the second degree.
Over against a house called Midgham foot, the walls
are about ten chains distant. From High-house to
Walbours they are very large and conspicuous;
Severus's wall in the third or fourth degree, and the ditch
in the second, and the military way very visible in the
second or third degree at the least. The vallum looks
like a military way, though this seems to be occasioned by
its being the publick road at present; for 'tis very broad,
but low. There is a visible castellum here, to which
Severus's military way (as usual) goes up; and perhaps this
has led Mr. Gordon to say, that the "walls touch one another
[g]." From hence to a place called the Banks the
walls are distant about three or four chains, Severus's
continuing in three or four degrees. At a house belonging to
one Mr. Bell we discovered the foundation of a
castellum.
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Hare Hill
Milecastle 53
Birch Shaw
Garthside
Randylands
Howgill
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"A little west of the brook called Banks-burn, at a
house called Hare-hill, is the highest part of the
wall that is any where now to be met with; but the facing
stones are removed. We measured three yards and an half from
the ground, and no doubt half a yard more is covered at the
bottom by the rubbish; so that probably it stands here at
its full original height. Here has been a castellum,
the prospect from hence being very good. The foundations of
the castellum may be discerned, though there has been an
house within it, the end of which has stood against the
wall, and probably been the occasion of its being preserved
at such a height. The walls here are about five chains
distant, diverging so as farther west to run to a
considerable distance from one another. And here Severus's
wall and ditch are in the third degree; but Hadrian's
vallum and ditch are almost flat, though the north
agger for a good space is in the third degree. And
near Birch-shaw the walls are distant about eight
chains from each other. Hadrian's vallum avoids the
hill, whilst Severus's wall fetches a compass, and passes
over the top of it. Near a place called Garth side,
about a quarter of a mile west of Randylands, the
walls come within two or three chains of each other. And for
this space, Severus's wall and ditch are in the second and
third degree. Hadrian's ditch is in the second degree, but
the rest of the work is not very visible, the ground being
ploughed and inclosed. From Howgill westward
Hadrian's vallum is in the second degree, the north
agger and ditch in the first;
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[g]
Itin. Septent. p.80.
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but
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gazetteer links
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-- Milecastle 48
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-- (roman bridge, Willowford)
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-- (roman fort, Birdoswald)
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