Milecastle 57 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Milecastle 57 |
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Milecastle 57 is thought to lie under Cambeckhill Farm
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 Location in Cumbria
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| Type | Milecastle |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 54°57′55″N 2°46′11″W / 54.965351°N 2.769748°W |
| County | Cumbria |
| Country | England |
Milecastle 57 (Cambeckhill) was a small fort, called a milecastle, that was part of Hadrian's Wall. Hadrian's Wall was a huge stone wall built by the Romans across northern England. These milecastles were like mini-forts placed about one Roman mile apart along the wall.
Where is Milecastle 57?
We don't know the exact spot of Milecastle 57 today. Experts believe it is hidden under a farm called Cambeckhill Farm. Its location was guessed by looking at where other nearby Roman structures were found.
In the 1960s, a small digging project happened at Cambeckhill Farm. This was before a new barn was built. During this dig, archaeologists found parts of Hadrian's Wall. They found foundations made of red sandstone blocks and rubble. You can sometimes see where the wall used to be. It looks like a slight bump in the fields near the farm. The site of another Roman fort, called Castlesteads (Camboglanna), is also nearby. It's about 430 metres southeast of where Milecastle 57 is thought to be.
What are Associated Turrets?
Every milecastle on Hadrian's Wall had two smaller watchtowers, called turrets. 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 have guarded these turrets. The turrets connected to Milecastle 57 are known as Turret 57A and Turret 57B.
Turret 57A (Beck)
Turret 57A (Beck) is located about 180 metres southwest of a stream called Dodgson's Beck. Archaeologists dug here in 1933. They found that it was a turret built when Hadrian's Wall was made of turf, not stone. The turret measured about 6.1 by 6.9 metres. Many pieces of pottery were found there, including a fancy type called Samian ware. Today, you can only see a small rise in the ground where Turret 57A once stood.
Turret 57B
Turret 57B has never been found by archaeologists. Its likely position has been worked out based on other structures along Hadrian's Wall. It is believed to be about 110 metres northeast of Newtown Farm.
