Milecastle 0 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Milecastle 0
Tyne and Wear, England, UK
Segedunum - If Milecastle 0 had existed, it would have been located here
Milecastle 0 Location in Tyne and Wear
Coordinates	54°59′16″N 1°31′56″W / 54.98791°N 1.53231°W / 54.98791; -1.53231

Imagine a tiny fort that might have been part of the famous Hadrian's Wall! This is the story of Milecastle 0. It's a special spot that some historians, like Peter Hill, think might have existed even before the big Roman fort called Segedunum was built. However, even with lots of searching, no one has found any proof that Milecastle 0 was ever really there. The Romans might have decided to build bigger forts along the wall later, so this small milecastle might never have been needed.

Searching for Milecastle 0

Historians and archaeologists have looked for Milecastle 0, but they haven't found any clues. No special digs have happened just to find this milecastle. Even when the nearby Segedunum fort was excavated, no evidence of Milecastle 0 turned up. This means we don't know anything about how it might have been built.

What Are Turrets?

Along Hadrian's Wall, between each milecastle, the Romans built smaller lookout towers called turrets. These turrets were placed about one-third and two-thirds of a Roman mile away from each milecastle. Soldiers from the milecastle would have guarded these turrets. Even though Milecastle 0 might not exist, historians have found evidence of two turrets that would have been connected to it. These are known as Turret 0A and Turret 0B.

Turret 0A: The Missing Tower

We don't know much about Turret 0A. Its exact location is believed to be near 54°59′14″N 1°32′12″W / 54.987261°N 1.536619°W / 54.987261; -1.536619 (Turret 0A). So far, no one has found any solid evidence of this turret.

Turret 0B: A Confusing Find

Turret 0B (St Francis) is located east of the St Francis Community Centre. This turret has a long and interesting history of being discovered and then lost again!

Early Sightings

In 1732, an archaeologist named John Horsley first wrote about this spot. He thought it was Milecastle 1, not a turret. Because of this, it's sometimes called Horsley's Milecastle 1. Later, in 1877, Canon Fowler also thought he had found Milecastle 1 again.

Confirming the Turret

More recently, other experts like John Collingwood-Bruce and Robert Blair found the structure again. This happened when people were digging foundations for a building called 'The Grange'. They correctly identified it as a turret. In 1936, Grace Simpson confirmed it was a turret. She found an article in The Evening Chronicle newspaper from August 15, 1936. This article described how an extension of Stotts Road in Walker cut through "the Roman Wall and one of its turrets near the Grange."

What Happened to the Stones?

Sadly, the stones from this turret were later moved. They were used to create rock gardens at Carville Chapel grounds. In 1978, only one layer of stones from this turret was found during another excavation.

The location of Turret 0B is 54°59′07″N 1°32′36″W / 54.985265°N 1.543440°W / 54.985265; -1.543440 (Turret )0B).

Records of Roman Sites

Historians keep records of important Roman sites. Here's how Milecastle 0 and its turrets are listed:

See also

In Spanish: Castillo miliar 0 para niños