button to main menu  Camden's Britannia, edn 1789

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Page 220:-
beyond Walwick or between that and Carrawbrugh [s].
  Wall Houses
"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.
  Shildon
"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.
  5. HUNNUM.
  Onnum
  Halton Chesters
  aqueduct
  Watling Street Gate
  Milecastle 14-21
  Portgate

"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
[s] Itin. Septent. p.74.
[t] P. 1054.
castellum,
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