Milecastle 45 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Milecastle 45 |
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The site of Milecastle 45
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 Location in Northumberland
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| Type | Milecastle |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 54°59′34″N 2°30′22″W / 54.992705°N 2.50613°W |
| County | Northumberland |
| Country | England |
Milecastle 45 (Walltown) was a small fort, called a milecastle, built by the Romans. It was part of Hadrian's Wall, a huge stone wall that stretched across northern England. These milecastles were like mini-forts placed every Roman mile along the wall.
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What You Can See Today
Milecastle 45 is located on top of Walltown Crags. Sadly, most of its stones were taken away a long time ago. This means there isn't much left of the original walls.
However, you can still see where the walls used to be. Look for the trenches where the stones were removed. You might also spot turf-covered mounds of earth. These are all that remain of the milecastle today. From above, like in aerial photographs, you can clearly see these earthworks (changes in the ground).
Meet the Turrets!
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Every milecastle along Hadrian's Wall had two smaller watchtowers nearby. These towers are called turrets. They were usually placed about one-third and two-thirds of a Roman mile to the west of the milecastle.
Soldiers from the milecastle would have guarded these turrets. The turrets linked to Milecastle 45 are known as Turret 45A and Turret 45B.
Turret 45A: An Older Friend?
Turret 45A (Walltown) is found about 90 meters (or 98 yards) east of where it was expected to be. It measures about 5.8 meters (19 feet) by 5.5 meters (18 feet) on the outside.
Archaeologists dug here in 1883, 1912, and 1959. During the 1959 digs, they found two special stones. These were "centurial stones," which often marked the work of a Roman century (a group of soldiers).
The walls of Turret 45A have been made strong again (or "consolidated"). They stand about 1 meter (3 feet) high today. This turret was built in a special way. The main wall of Hadrian's Wall was built right up against it. It wasn't "bonded" (joined together) with the turret.
This suggests that Turret 45A might be older than Hadrian's Wall itself. It could have been a freestanding watchtower. Perhaps it was part of an earlier system of watchtowers connected to the Stanegate, an older Roman road.
Turret 45B: A Lost Watchtower
Turret 45B (Walltown West) was also dug up by archaeologists in 1883. This turret was smaller, measuring 3.8 meters (12.5 feet) by 4 meters (13 feet). Its walls were almost 1 meter (3 feet) thick and just over 1 meter (3 feet) high.
Sadly, this turret was destroyed not long after it was excavated in 1883. It was lost due to the work of the Greenland Quarry nearby.
Visiting Milecastle 45
You can visit the remains of Milecastle 45 and Turret 45A. They are both located along the Hadrian's Wall Path, a popular walking trail.
You can park your car at Walltown Quarry Car Park. This car park is also on the Hadrian's Wall Path. However, be ready for a steep climb to reach the milecastle and turret. The car park is signposted from the B6318 (Military Road).
