Milecastle 58 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Milecastle 58 |
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Milecastle 58 lies just south of the lane passing through Newtown
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 Location in Cumbria
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| Type | Milecastle |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 54°57′19″N 2°47′08″W / 54.955364°N 2.785641°W |
| County | Cumbria |
| Country | England |
Milecastle 58 (Newtown) was a small fort or "milecastle" built by the Romans. It was part of Hadrian's Wall, a huge stone barrier across northern England. These milecastles were like mini-forts along the wall. They helped Roman soldiers guard the border and control who passed through.
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What is Milecastle 58?
Milecastle 58 is thought to be located near a lane. This lane heads southwest from the village of Newtown in Cumbria, England. Experts believe it sits on the north side of a hedge. There are signs of a raised area there, and many stones are found at the bottom of the hedge.
In 1853, a special stone was found here. It had Latin words carved into it: "LEG II AUG FECIT". This means "The Second Augustan Legion built this". This tells us that a specific Roman army group, the Second Augustan Legion, helped build this part of the wall.
Scientists did a special check of the ground in 1980-81. This is called a geophysical survey. It uses tools to look for things buried underground without digging. However, this survey did not clearly find the milecastle.
Finding Hadrian's Wall
In 1902, people dug in the area. They found where Hadrian's Wall ran southwest of Newtown. The geophysical survey in 1981 also showed something important. It suggested that parts of the stone wall are still buried right next to Newtown.
Turrets Near Milecastle 58
Every milecastle along Hadrian's Wall had two smaller guard posts. These were called turrets. They were placed about one-third and two-thirds of a Roman mile to the west of the milecastle. A Roman mile was a bit shorter than a modern mile, about 1,480 meters (or 0.9 miles). Soldiers from the milecastle would have guarded these turrets. The turrets linked to Milecastle 58 are known as Turret 58A and Turret 58B.
Turret 58A
Turret 58A has never been found for sure. Its likely spot has been worked out by looking at other structures on Hadrian's Wall. It is thought to be about 300 meters east of Cumrenton farm.
Turret 58B
The exact location of Turret 58B is also not certain. It was supposedly found in 1894 by a group called the Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle. But its precise location was not written down. Like Turret 58A, its approximate position has been calculated. It is believed to be in the field just northeast of Chapel Field.
