button to main menu  Camden's Britannia, edn 1789

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Page 227:-
  King Water
  Walton
  Sandysike

but a little after they become very obscure. And from the same place Severus's wall and ditch are in about two degrees.The distance between the walls near Howgill is about three chains, diverging a little. At the water of King they are about fine (sic) chains distant, from whence to the village of Waltown Severus's wall is a little obscure. At Waltown all relating to both walls is obscure. But at this place there seems to have been some fortification or encampment. One side of the square is yet very visible, and the ramparts pretty large about 80 yards long. Somewhat also like a smaller rampart may be seen in the middle of the ditch, and something like a covered way beyond it, resembling the double or triple ditch and rampart with which some forts are encompassed, but less than usual. There seems to have been nothing of stone about it, nor any ruins of stone buildings within. It is pretty high ground and dry. Perhaps it has been a summer encampment or exploratory fort for the garrison at Cambeck, if it be a Roman work, of which I can't be certain. The wall after this passes by a few houses called Sandy sykes, and so on to Cambeck fort. And from Sandy-sykes to this fort Severus's wall is in two degrees, the ditch not being so much; but Hadrian's can scarcely be discerned.
"The distance between the forts of Burdoswold and Cambeck is about six miles and a quarter. And in this space there have been seven castella, which are all yet to be discerned. The intervals between these seven castella are equal, and just seven furlongs each.
  13. PETRIANA.
  Camboglanna
  Castlesteads

"CAMBECK fort, usually called Castle-steeds, is all grown over with wood, yet the boundaries of it may be traced out. It seems to have been about six chains square. It is detached to the south about 12 chains from the wall.
  Newtown, Irthington
  Cumrenton
  Oldwall

"From this fort for about a mile Hadrian's vallum is scarce any where to be distinctly observed. And a little to the east of Cambeck hill Severus's wall is obscure, being in plowed ground, though just before it was pretty visible. And from Cambeck hill to Irthing new town the wall and ditch are in about the second degree; and continue so to the part over against Comeranton. Hadrians's vallum is here distant about three chains, and both it and the ditch appear in the second degree. But from hence to Old wall it is almost quite lost (though Severus's wall be for this space in the second degree and the ditch in the third) being all grown over with hazle and thorn. At Old wall the distance between the walls about 10 chains. At which place and beyond it Hadrian's work is pretty visible, especially the ditch and north agger. From Old wall to Bleatern the wall and ditch of Severus are both very conspicuous, the former in the second degree, the latter in the third. Here also the wall is covered with bushes of hazle and thorn. And between Old wall and Bleatern is a place called the House steeds, where, about seven years ago, was found an altar, that is now at Scaleby, but has no visible inscription upon it.
"The distance between Cambeck fort and Watchcrossis about three miles, and has three visible castella in it, besides one more which was discernible some years ago, but is now quite ruined. The intervals are just seven furlongs.
  14. ABBALABBA
  Watchcross
  Stanegate
  Bleatarn

"A little detached from the walls to the south is a Roman fort about four chains and a half square, called WATCHCROSS, and, as I was assured by the country people, and have had it since farther confirmed, a military way has gone near it, or between it and the military way belonging to the wall; for they often plow up paving stones here, and think part of the highway to Brampton to be upon it. This is the least station in the line of the wall, and is as much plundered of its stones as that at Brugh or Drumbrugh. However the ramparts and ditches are very fair and visible. It is about half a mile from Bleatern. The military way, which I just now mentioned, has gone from Cambeck or Carrvoran to Stanwicks, like a string to a bow. And so Watchcross stands here in much the same manner as Little Chesters does in Northumberland. Near Bleatern the walls runs through mossy ground, and the foundation here has been made with piles of wood. Hadrian's vallum goes round this bad ground, and runs at ten chains distance from Severus's wall.
  Wallhead
  Walby
  Henmoss Brow
  Drawdykes Castle
  Wall Knowe

"From Bleatern to Wall head Severus's wall and ditch continue visible in about the second degree at least. But from thence to Walby the wall is very obscure, though the ditch continues visible. The most westerly houses at Wall-head stand upon a piece of ground called Hen-moss-brow; and about thirty years ago was found here a remarkable stone, which by the accounts of it seems to have been a Roman threshold. The stone was removed from the place to Crossby, but I know not what is now become of it. Walby stands just upon the wall, which is lost in the village. Some have thought there was the appearance of a station on the north side of this village. The country people say they several times turn up lime and stones with the plough. But the ground is wet, and not very fit for a station; and the lime and stones, which are plowed up, may have belonged to the wall itself, or a castellum, which probably has been at this place. From hence to Drawdikes all is obscure, though some appearance of the ditch may still be discovered. For about ten chains not far from Bruntstick-mills, the track of the walls is more plain and distinct, and there is a faint appearance of the ditch. But for about ten chains or a furlong near to Tarraby, either the wall or ditch or both are visible in the second or third degree. From Tarraby to Wall-knowe both the wall and ditch may be traced out, especially the ditch, but neither are for any space very large or distinct; and they are less so from Wall-knowe to Stanwicks, being there in arable grounds.
"From Watchcross to Stanwicks is more than five miles, and but two castella are visible in all this space, the one of which does not immediately succeed the other; for it certain by the distance, that there must have been three more between these two, which are the first and last in this space.
  15. CONGAVATA.
  Stanwix
  Uxelodunum

"STANWICKS, according to some, signifies the same as Stane wegges, that is, a place upon the stones, or a stoney way [h]. Here the person where I lodged told me that the wall had passed through his garden; and that they hit upon it, and got stones from thence when they dug and enclosed his garden. The ditch, therefore, which appears so distinctly to the west of the village, between it and the river Eden, and which seems to lie pretty much in a line with this garden and the track of the wall, must, I think, be Severus's. And then it is highly probable that Severus's wall has formed the north rampart of the
[h] Camden, p.1026, 1027. Perhaps the last part of the name may be derived from wick, a town. See before, p.192. 194.
station
gazetteer links
button -- "Cambeck Fort" -- Camboglanna
button -- Uxelodunum
button -- "Warchcross" -- (roman fort, Watchcross)
button -- "Stanwicks" -- Stanwix
button -- "Wall Head" -- Wallhead
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