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start of The Wall |
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Page 220:-
beyond Walwick or between that and Carrawbrugh
[s].
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Wall Houses
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"Severus's military way keeps upon the north agger
for a while; afterwards it passes on the side of it without
running upon the top. A little after it has passed by the
Wall-houses, it runs almost parallel both to the wall
and the north agger, and within a few yards of the
north agger; it passes also near the entries into the
castella, but does not go up close to them. There seemed to
be somewhat like a pavement from the entry to the way; and
'tis highly probable that there has been one, though the
distance between them is but about ten yards, and sometimes
less. The military way here is low, but the pavement
regular. The north agger is high by intervals, but
has great breaks in it, and is in the main ruinous; so that
probably it required more pains and expence to level and
prepare it for a pavement, than to lay a pavement quite new
where they have done it. From hence every thing continues
for the most part in the same state, till we come to Halton
chesters; only Hadrian's north and south aggers
become obscure for a small space east of this station.
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Shildon
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"Before we come to Halton chesters, somewhat appears that is
pretty remarkable. Hadrian's vallum running full upon
a little hill, turns at once round about the skirt of it,
leaving the hill on the north, and thereby, one would think,
rendering the vallum itself a weak defence at that part. The
north agger goes close to the south side of this
hill; so that they were also obliged to carry the vallum
round the hill, in order to preserve the parallelism. If the
north agger was the old military way, and prior to
the vallum, there was nothing improper in carrying it on the
south skirt of the hill; and then when the vallum
came afterwards to be built (for a defence or place of
retreat) they were under a kind of necessity to form it
after this manner. Nor do I know how to account for this
piece of management upon any other scheme than what I have
already advanced. And if my supposition accounts for this
conduct, this appearance does not a little confirm my
scheme. Severus's military way keeps here also on the south
side of the hill, and close to the north agger; but
his wall passes over the north side of the hill, near the
top of it; and the ditch is continued also on the north side
of the hill, and appears very deep. Above a mile south-east
from Halton-sheels is Shildon hill, where there is a
large entrenchment of an oval figure. This, if Roman, may
have served for exploration, or be castra aestiva for
the station at Halton chesters. It is upon the top of the
hill, the shape of which may have occasioned the oval figure
of the encampment.
From Rutchester to Halton chesters is a little more than
seven measured miles. There are nine castella between
these two stations, and all of them visible, the interval
between every two of them being near upon six furlongs and a
half. And it is remarkable, that as the interval between
these two stations is the greatest of any upon the whole
line of the wall; so the intervals between the
castella are rather the least of any, excepting one
single instance, for which there will be a particular reason
given afterwards.
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5. HUNNUM.
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Onnum
Halton Chesters
aqueduct
Watling Street Gate
Milecastle 14-21
Portgate
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"At HALTON CHESTERS (as I call it from its nearness to
Halton) are the remains of a station very distinct;
though all our antiquaries have hitherto overlooked them.
Perhaps the reason has been the irregularity of the figure;
for the ruins both within and without are very considerable,
and as apparent as most of the stations upon the wall. The
broader part lies within the wall, and the less or narrower
without it. The former they call the Chesters or
Silver hill, the other the Chester close; so
that both retain the name, which is a pretty sure mark of a
station. And no doubt the name of Silver hill has been given
to it upon account of the Roman coins found there, of which
some have been found very lately. Perhaps the reason why
that part without the line of the wall was not made so broad
as that within, was, because there is a descent or hollow
ground joining to the west side of this part, so that the
work could not be carried on any farther that way without
much trouble and expence; though it must be owned the Romans
don't usually seemed to have valued either the one or the
other. Dr. Hunter, Mr. Smith, and others, take notice of
some remains at Portgate or near it. And in the new
edition of Camden it is observed, that "There is at
Portgate a square old tower still standing, and great
ruins of old buildings [t]." But this tower has nothing in
it that is Roman, being of the same form with a multitude of
others that are in the north and of a much later date. And
the ruins are not (that I know of) at Portgate, but at
Halton, which is more than half a mile to the east of
it. Hadrian's vallum seems to have fallen in with the
south rampart of this fort, and Severus's wall with the
north line of the inner part; but both it and the ditch are
discontinued for the breadth of the narrower and outer part
of the fort. There seems to have been an aqueduct to
convey water to this station, from a spring on the higher
ground near Watling street gate. When I rode that
way, I was shewn part of it by a country-man, who said it
was what the speaking trumpet was lodged in; of which
fiction some account has been given in the preceding
chapter. The remaining ruins of the out-buildings are to the
south, and the south-east of the fort. The rampart round the
fort is in the second degree, and the ditch in the first,
though in some parts scarce discernible. Near Watling street
gate (that is about a furlong to the east of it) is a
visible castellum. And at Watling street gate there
has been a square castellum half within the wall and
half without, in which respect it differs from the other
castella. And the part without is more visible and
distinct than that which is within.
"From Halton to Watling street gate, and beyond it as far as
Portgate, Severus's wall and ditch are in the third degree.
But Hadrian's, passing through ploughed ground, can scarce
be discerned, only the ditch is visible in the first degree
at the least.
"After the walls have passed by Portgate (which is to the
south of them) the military way becomes again very visible,
[passing near Hadrian's north agger, and going to
another castellum, which is also very visible; and
after it has left this, it approaches again to Hadrian's
north agger, and then coincides with it; after which
the two continue united, till they come near the next
castellum, and then Severus's military way leaves the
other, and bends its course gradually towards the castellum.
After it has passed this castellum, it inclines again to the
north agger of Hadrian's work, and at the distance of
about a furlong from the castellum falls in again with it,
and so continues united with it, till it comes nigh the
following
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[s]
Itin. Septent. p.74.
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[t]
P. 1054.
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castellum,
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