Milecastle 43 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Milecastle 43
Milecastle 43 lies beneath the north wall of Great Chesters Fort
Location in Northumberland
Type	Milecastle
Location
Coordinates	54°59′43″N 2°27′54″W / 54.995296°N 2.464897°W / 54.995296; -2.464897
County	Northumberland
Country	England

Milecastle 43 (Great Chesters) was a small fort, like a mini-castle, built along Hadrian's Wall. This famous wall was a huge defensive barrier built by the Romans in ancient Britain. Milecastle 43 was located near a bigger Roman fort called Great Chesters, also known as Aesica. Sadly, this milecastle was completely covered up when the larger fort was built.

Uncovering Milecastle 43: A Hidden Discovery

Milecastle 43 was hidden for a long time. Its foundations were finally discovered in 1939 during an archaeological dig. They were found underneath the fort wall and rampart of Aesica. This was between the north gate and the north-west corner of the larger fort.

Archaeologists learned some interesting things from these excavations. They found that Milecastle 43 was built with a "short axis." This means it was wider than it was long. It also had a "Type I gateway," which describes how its entrance was designed. Today, you can't see any remains of Milecastle 43 above ground.

What Are Milecastles and Turrets?

Hadrian's Wall had many milecastles and turrets. Milecastles were small forts built about one Roman mile apart along the wall. They were like checkpoints or mini-bases. Between each milecastle, there were two smaller watchtowers called turrets. These turrets were placed about one-third and two-thirds of a Roman mile from the milecastle. Soldiers from the milecastle would likely have guarded these turrets.

Turret 43A (Cockmount Hill)

Turret 43A was located near Milecastle 43. Exploratory digging in 1912 helped find its exact spot. Today, the site is covered by turf and soil from the Wall. This means you can't see any remains of the turret.

Turret 43B (Allolee East)

Turret 43B was also found during exploratory digging in 1912. Like Turret 43A, there are no visible remains of this turret today.

Visiting the Area

The Hadrian's Wall Path is a walking trail that follows the route of the ancient wall. This path goes right through the remains of Aesica fort, very close to where Milecastle 43 once stood. You can also reach the sites of both Turret 43A and Turret 43B by walking along the Hadrian's Wall Path.