Milecastle 55 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Milecastle 55 |
|
|---|---|
Hadrian's Wall Path near Milecastle 55
|
|
 Location in Cumbria
|
|
| Type | Milecastle |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 54°58′19″N 2°43′35″W / 54.971818°N 2.726444°W |
| County | Cumbria |
| Country | England |
Milecastle 55 (Low Wall) was a small fort, called a milecastle, built by the Romans. It was part of Hadrian's Wall, a famous ancient wall in England. Milecastles were like mini-forts placed about one Roman mile apart along the wall. They helped control who passed through and kept watch over the area.
Contents
What is Milecastle 55 Like Today?
Milecastle 55 is found in a grassy field. This field is just east of a village called Walton, Cumbria. Today, you can't see much of the milecastle above ground. There's only a slight bump in the ground where it used to be. This bump is a low, grassy platform. It measures about 22 metres from east to west. We don't know its exact north-south length.
Near Milecastle 55, parts of Hadrian's Wall still stand. The wall here is a large bank covered in grass. It is about 1.4 metres tall. A fence and a hedge now sit on top of this ancient bank.
Discovering Milecastle 55
Archaeologists found Milecastle 55 in the year 1900. They dug up parts of it to learn more. During these digs, they found pieces of pottery. This pottery dated back to the late 4th century. This tells us that the milecastle was still in use around that time.
Turrets Near Milecastle 55
Every milecastle on Hadrian's Wall had two smaller watchtowers nearby. These towers are called turrets. They were 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. The turrets linked to Milecastle 55 are known as Turret 55A and Turret 55B.
Turret 55A (Dovecote)
Turret 55A was found in 1933. It is located about 170 metres north of a place called High Dovecote. Just like Milecastle 55, there are no visible remains of Turret 55A on the surface today.
Turret 55B (Townhead Croft)
Turret 55B was discovered in 1959. People had tried to find it earlier in 1933 but didn't succeed. This turret is about 40 metres west of Dovecote Bridge. You cannot see any signs of this turret on the ground either.
Close to where Turret 55B once stood, you can see a section of Hadrian's Wall. This part of the wall is about 1 metre high and 20 metres long. It is currently covered by a protective mound of earth. This helps to keep the old stonework safe from damage.
