Milecastle 59 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Milecastle 59 |
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Hadrian's Wall Path near Milecastle 59
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 Location in Cumbria
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| Type | Milecastle |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 54°56′52″N 2°48′17″W / 54.94769°N 2.804851°W |
| County | Cumbria |
| Country | England |
Milecastle 59 (Old Wall) was a small fort or guard post built by the Romans. It was part of Hadrian's Wall, a famous stone wall that stretched across northern England. These milecastles were like mini-forts placed about every Roman mile along the wall. They helped soldiers guard the border and control who passed through.
Exploring Milecastle 59
Milecastle 59 was located on flat land. It was about 450 meters east of a small village called Oldwall. It was also just north of Carlisle Airport. Today, you can't see the milecastle above ground. It's hidden under grassy fields.
Archaeologists dug here in 1894. They found stone foundations, which are the base parts of old buildings. They also found pieces of pottery. In 1981, a special survey was done using equipment that looks underground. This survey showed that the south wall of the milecastle is still there. However, the side walls have likely been removed or damaged by farming.
About 150 meters south of Milecastle 59, near a ditch called the Vallum, an important stone inscription was found. It says "C(OHORS) IIII LIN(GONUM) F(ECIT)". This means "The Fourth Cohort of Lingonians built this." A cohort was a group of Roman soldiers.
Another stone, an altar, was found near Milecastle 59. It was dedicated to a Roman god named Mars Cocidius. A centurion, who was a Roman army officer, from the First Cohort of Batavians put it there.
Nearby Watchtowers: Turrets 59A and 59B
Each milecastle along 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 likely guarded these turrets. The turrets linked to Milecastle 59 are known as Turret 59A and Turret 59B.
Turret 59A
Turret 59A has never been found by archaeologists. Its likely position has been worked out based on other structures along Hadrian's Wall. It is thought to be just east of Oldwall. The 1981 underground survey also looked for Turret 59A but could not find it.
Turret 59B
Turret 59B has also never been located. Its possible position can only be guessed by looking at where other parts of Hadrian's Wall are.
