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start of The Wall |
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Page 218:-
nearly two miles and a furlong, and no inscriptions have
been discovered in this space; at least none now remain, nor
even the remembrance of any.
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3. CONDERCUM.
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Condercum
Benwell Hill
Rudchester
Denton Hall
Milecastle 8??
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"Upon BENWEL hill are the plain remains of a Roman station.
And I make not doubt but that to the south of it there have
been, as usual, some outbuildings, though now demolished and
leveled by the plough. The situation of it is high, and the
prospect considerable. The ramparts are large and distinct
in the second degree, but the ditch scarce to be discerned.
Hadrian's vallum seems to have fallen in with the
south side of it, and Severus's wall strikes upon the east
and west sides, so as to leave three chains to the north and
six to the south. But there is no appearance of the wall and
its ditch being continued through the fort, though Mr.
Gordon has so represented it [p]. And at Rutchester,
the next fort to this, where the wall also strikes upon the
side of the fort, both the wall and ditch are plainly
discontinued. There are stones in the road that now crosses
this fort, but these seem only to have been taken out of the
ruins to repair the highway. The inscriptions found here
will be mentioned in their proper place. Severus's wall and
ditch in going down from hence to Denton continue
much in the same state as before. But Hadrian's work on this
side begin to appear more conspicuous. Both the walls pass
to the north of the hall and village of Benwel, which is not
improbably thought to have its name from the northern word
ben, signifying within, and wel for wall, as
being seated within, or on the south side of the wall. From
Denton to the Chapel houses both the walls and their
ditches are almost all the way visible and distinct,
generally in the second degree. Over against west Denton
hall there seemed to be the visible remains of a
castellum; and somewhat like the ruins of a turret,
not very far from it.
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Chapel Houses
Milecastle 9
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"Near the Chapel houses about a furlong south from Severus's
wall, and less from Hadrian's, are somewhat like the ruins
of a rampart. It is called the Castle-steeds, the
name usually given to those castella that are
regularly placed along Severus's wall. But this (besides its
being at some distance from the wall which the other never
are) appears to have been of a quite different form and
dimensions. For it is about four chains long, with an
interval in the middle, that looks like a gate, and so makes
it appear very like the south rampart of a small fort. But
if there have been ramparts on the other sides, no traces of
them appear at present. The prospect here, especially to the
south, is very considerable. Perhaps it has been an
exploratory tower belonging to Hadrian's work, and prior to
Severus's; and so neglected in his time. The usual
castellum belonging to Severus's wall is about a
furlong west from the Chapel houses, and visible there; so
that the other can neither be one of these, nor intended to
supply the place of one. From the name Chapel houses one
would expect to find some ruinous chapel there: and I should
have suspected these ruins to have been somewhat of that
nature, if the name Castle-steeds had not determined against
it.
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Walbottle
Milecastle 10
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"From Chapel houses to Walbottle [q] both walls and
ditches are pretty visible, generally in the second degree,
and continue so to Newburn deen. But on the descent
from the Chapel houses to Walbottle, Hadrian's north
agger becomes visible in the second or third degree,
and holds so for the most part to Newburn-deen. Between
Walbottle and this deen is a castellum still very
visible. And from the deen to Throcklow, Hadrians'
vallum and ditch are discernible, but not very large,
in the first degree or more, and Severus's wall and ditch in
the second or more.
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Throcklow
Milecastle 11
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Over against Throcklow, in a convenient high place,
there seems to be the ruins of another castellum; but
near the village the vallum is very obscure. From
Throcklow to Heddon on the wall, Severus's wall and
ditch are very conspicuous, each of them mostly in the third
degree, and Hadrian's vallum and ditch in the second.
The north agger is also discernible for part of the
way, and near Heddon it is very considerable, being in the
second or third degree.
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Milecastle 12
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"Before we come to Heddon, there is on the north side of the
wall another place of the same nature with that at Chapel
houses, and called likewise Castle-steeds. The remains are
very confused, and as it is altogether on the north of the
walll, and detached a little from it, I believe it has been
somewhat of a castellum prior to the wall, and
neglected after the building of it. The prospect of this
place is very good, which makes it the more likely to have
been of the exploratory kind. However there seems to have
been an usual castellum in Severus's wall, very near
to these ruins; which is farther proof that the other has
not been used after the wall was erected. It seems to have
been twice as large as one of Severus's castella, and
yet not large enough for a station. Three sides, the north,
east, and west, may be traced out, but the other is entirely
leveled.
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Heddon on the wall
Milecastle 13
Villa ad Murum
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"Near Heddon on the wall somewhat appeared like Severus's
military way, pretty near to his wall. But I think it rather
the stones and ruins of the wall, and that the military ways
have here coincided, because the north agger is so
large, though in a ploughed field. Not far from this place,
there have been some remarkable tumuli. The village
Heddon lawes, which stands upon a hill, has no doubt had its
name from such tumuli. There is yet remaining one very great
heap of stones, besides other tumuli, and a remarkable one
farther to the east called Dewly lawe, with a smaller
one near it. The whole hill is like the ruins of a quarry,
but curious and worth the seeing. If regard be had to the
distance of 12 miles from the sea, Heddon on the wall would
seem to be Bede's villa ad murum, and not either
Wall's-end or Wall-town [r]. From Heddon to Rutchester both
the wall and their ditches are distinct, mostly in the
second or third degree. And a little before we come to
Rutchester, Hadrian's north agger is distinct in
about the second degree. Here is another castellum,
the remains of which are very visible, and an oval fort
(though I think not Roman) near it.
"In this space there are six visible castella in a
series without interruption, and the constant exact measure
between them is six furlongs and three quarters; and the
whole distance between the two stations, six measured miles
and three quarters. The two castella that have been next to
the fort at Benwel hill, have no visible remains.
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4. VINDOBALA.
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Vindobala
Rudchester
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"At the fort at RUTCHESTER, Severus's wall runs
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[p]
Itin. Sept. p.71.
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[q]
If botle be a Saxon termination, signifying the same
as by, ham, ton, &c. 'tis evident that Walbottle
near Newburn is no more than Walltown, and that the story
about the battle there, supposed to occasion the name, is
pure imagination.
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[r]
Camden, p.1055, Gibson's Edit. and the Survey of Newcastle,
p.8.
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upon
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