Milecastle 50TW facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Milecastle 50TW |
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A reconstruction of a turf wall milecastle gateway at Vindolanda
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 Location in Cumbria
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| Type | Milecastle |
| Place in the Roman world | |
| Province | Britannia |
| Structure | |
| — Wood and turf structure — | |
| Size and area | 22.12 m × 16.76 m (0.04 ha) |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 54°59′08″N 2°36′56″W / 54.985551°N 2.615428°W |
| County | Cumbria |
| Country | England |
Milecastle 50TW, also known as High House, was a small fort or "milecastle" built on the original turf section of Hadrian's Wall. This part of the wall was made of earth and wood. Milecastle 50TW was located near the Birdoswald Roman Fort.
What makes this milecastle special is that when the Romans rebuilt Hadrian's Wall with stone, they did not build the new stone milecastle (called Milecastle 50) in the same spot. Instead, the new stone milecastle was built about 200 meters (220 yards) to the north. The Romans themselves partly destroyed Milecastle 50TW after they stopped using it. Archaeologists found many Roman rubbish pits when they dug here in 1934.
Contents
What Was Milecastle 50TW?
Milecastle 50TW was a small fort built as part of the original turf section of Hadrian's Wall. It stood west of the Birdoswald fort. This milecastle is unique because it's the only original turf milecastle that wasn't replaced by a stone one on the exact same spot. This happened because the original turf wall and the later stone wall followed different paths in this area.
All milecastles on the turf wall were likely built with earth walls, called ramparts. They also had a wooden tower above their north gate. Today, you can't see any remains of Milecastle 50TW. However, you can still spot a raised path, or causeway, that crossed the wall's ditch. This is one of only two milecastles where such a structure still exists. At first, a wooden pipe, called a culvert, let water flow under the causeway. Later, this was replaced with a stone culvert.
How Was It Built?
Milecastle 50TW measured about 20.12 meters (66 feet) long and 16.76 meters (55 feet) wide. Its earth walls, or ramparts, were about 6.1 meters (20 feet) wide at their base.
The north gateway was similar in size to a turret. It had five square wooden posts on each side. The south gateway was smaller, with only three posts on each side. Experts think the extra posts in the north gate helped support the weight of a tower built above it. This tower wasn't needed over the south gateway.
Archaeologists found traces of a timber building inside the milecastle. It was about 9.14 meters (30 feet) long and 3.66 meters (12 feet) wide. This building was divided into two rooms, and each room had a fireplace. Another fireplace was found outside this building, to its north. A large pot was found buried in the ground near the south gate, connected to a drain. It's believed this was used as a toilet. The base of a stairway was also found in the northeast corner of the milecastle.
The Vallum Ditch
The vallum was a large ditch and mound system built just south of Hadrian's Wall. Near Milecastle 50TW, the vallum ditch and its south mound curved south to go around the milecastle. The north vallum mound, which was missing further west, started again at Milecastle 50TW's west wall. A stone-covered path was built across the vallum ditch. This path had a gap in the south mound. Later, this crossing was made wider.
Why Was It Demolished?
When the Romans decided to extend the stone wall further west from Milecastle 49, Milecastle 50TW was taken apart. During the 1934 excavation, evidence showed that the gates were purposely dismantled. Pits were dug to bury things like bedding and other rubbish. This suggests the Romans carefully closed down and cleared out the site.
Discoveries and Investigations
Archaeologists have explored Milecastle 50TW several times:
- 1933: Nothing was found at the expected spot. However, a smooth platform slightly to the west was noticed. Digging there revealed cobbled foundations and pottery from the 2nd century.
- 1934: The platform was fully dug up. This helped experts understand how the milecastle was built. They also learned about its demolition. Pits dug to get rid of rubbish contained:
- Pieces of bedding.
- A damaged part of a wooden writing tablet.
- A bundle of leather tent pieces.
- A broken drinking mug.
- A piece of an inscription carved into an oak panel. This piece is thought to include parts of the names of Emperor Hadrian and the Roman Governor, Aulus Platorius Nepos.
- 1971: English Heritage checked the site. They noted there were no visible remains, but confirmed the site's location.
- 1990: The site was visited again as part of the Hadrian's Wall Project. Still, no visible remains were found, except for the causeway across the ditch.
Nearby Turrets
Every milecastle on Hadrian's Wall had two smaller watchtowers, called turrets, linked to it. These turrets were placed about one-third and two-thirds of a Roman mile to the west of the milecastle. Soldiers from the milecastle would likely have guarded these turrets. The turrets connected to Milecastle 50TW are known as Turret 50A TW and Turret 50B TW. Both turrets were also taken down when the turf wall was replaced with a stone wall.
Turret 50A TW
Turret 50A TW was found in 1934. It was located about 507 meters (555 yards) west of Milecastle 50TW. Enough of Turret 50A TW remained after it was demolished to show that its walls were 76 centimeters (30 inches) wide. The outside of the turret measured about 20 feet (6.1 meters) square.
Turret 50B TW
The remains of Turret 50B TW were found about 522 meters (571 yards) east of Milecastle 51. Its outside measurements were also about 20 feet (6.1 meters) square. Both its north and south sides had a plinth, which is a base or platform. A fireplace was found a little to the east of the center of the floor. This suggests that the door might have been on the west side of the south wall.
Visiting the Site
While you can't see any visible remains at Milecastle 50TW or its turrets, you can see their general locations from the Hadrian's Wall Path. However, you cannot access the sites directly. The closest place to park your car is at Birdoswald.
Images for kids
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An approximate plan of the ramparts and internal structures of Milecastle 50TW
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Typical plan of a turf wall turret
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