Milecastle 44 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Milecastle 44 |
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The site of Milecastle 44
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 Location in Northumberland
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| Type | Milecastle |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 54°59′46″N 2°29′16″W / 54.996104°N 2.487884°W |
| County | Northumberland |
| Country | England |
Imagine standing on Hadrian's Wall, a huge ancient barrier built by the Romans! Milecastle 44, also known as Allolee, was one of the many small forts built along this famous wall. These milecastles were like mini-forts, placed about one Roman mile (around 1,600 meters) apart. They helped guard the wall and control who passed through.
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What is Milecastle 44?
Milecastle 44 is located in Northumberland, England. It sits about 1.5 kilometers (or about 1 mile) west of a larger Roman fort called Great Chesters, also known as Aesica.
Today, you can still see some parts of Milecastle 44. It looks like a few original stones and a low, grassy mound. This mound is about 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) wide and 0.9 meters (3 feet) high. Inside, the milecastle measured about 20.3 meters (66.6 feet) from north to south and 17.0 meters (55.8 feet) from east to west.
Exploring the Site
Archaeologists have done some digging at Milecastle 44. They explored the inner parts of the milecastle by digging trenches. However, there isn't a detailed report published about what they found.
You can also see traces of an old Roman road nearby. This road, called the Military Way, ran behind Hadrian's Wall. It helped Roman soldiers move quickly between forts and milecastles. The part of the road leading to Milecastle 44 is about 3.5 meters (11.5 feet) wide and 0.2 meters (8 inches) high.
Meet the Turrets: 44A and 44B
Every milecastle along Hadrian's Wall had two smaller guard posts nearby. These were called turrets. They were usually placed about one-third and two-thirds of a Roman mile to the west of each milecastle. Soldiers from the milecastle would have guarded these turrets. For Milecastle 44, these smaller posts are known as Turret 44A and Turret 44B.
Turret 44A (Allolee West)
Turret 44A was found by archaeologists in 1912. Today, it looks like a square, grass-covered mound about 30 centimeters (1 foot) high. It's a quiet reminder of where Roman guards once stood watch.
Turret 44B (Mucklebank)
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Turret 44B was dug up in 1892 and left open for people to see. During the excavations, archaeologists found a Roman coin from the time of Emperor Valens. They also found a special stone outside the turret's southeast corner. This stone had an inscription that showed which group of soldiers had built or worked on that section.
Today, Turret 44B is still visible as solid stone walls. Some parts of the masonry stand as high as 1.9 meters (6.2 feet). It's a great place to imagine Roman soldiers on duty!
Visiting Milecastle 44
If you're interested in Roman history, you can visit the remains of Milecastle 44, Turret 44A, and Turret 44B. They are all easy to reach if you are walking along the Hadrian's Wall Path. It's a fantastic way to experience a piece of ancient history!
