Milecastle 68 facts for kids

Quick facts for kids Milecastle 68
The footbridge over Boomby Gill
Location in Cumbria
Type	Milecastle
Location
Coordinates	54°54′15″N 2°58′15″W / 54.904240°N 2.970858°W / 54.904240; -2.970858
County	Cumbria
Country	England

Milecastle 68 (Boomby Gill) is a special place along Hadrian's Wall in England. It's thought to be where a small Roman fort, called a milecastle, once stood. However, even after many searches, no actual remains of this milecastle have been found. It's like a missing piece of a puzzle!

What is a Milecastle?

Hadrian's Wall was a huge stone barrier built by the Romans across northern England. It was meant to protect their land from tribes to the north. Along this wall, the Romans built small forts called milecastles. These were like mini-forts, usually spaced about one Roman mile apart.

Each milecastle had a gate that allowed people to pass through the wall. They were also home to a small group of Roman soldiers. These soldiers would guard the gate and patrol their section of the wall. Milecastles were an important part of how the Romans controlled their border.

Searching for Milecastle 68

Even though we know where most milecastles are, Milecastle 68 is still a mystery. Its likely spot is near a stream called Boomby Gill. Experts have tried to figure out its exact location by measuring from other known milecastles.

Over the years, people have looked for signs of Milecastle 68:

• 1969: Investigators from English Heritage looked around but couldn't see any remains.
• 1972: Another English Heritage team found an old trench. They thought someone might have dug it to find the milecastle's corner. The trench had some large, rough stones, but it didn't lead to finding the milecastle itself.
• 1990: A team from the Hadrian's Wall Project searched again. They also found no visible remains. The old trench seen in 1972 was gone too.

So far, Milecastle 68 remains hidden. It's possible its stones were taken away long ago, or it was never fully built.

Nearby Watchtowers

Every milecastle on Hadrian's Wall had two smaller watchtowers, called turrets, connected to it. These turrets were placed about one-third and two-thirds of a Roman mile to the west. Soldiers from the milecastle would have guarded these turrets.

For Milecastle 68, these missing watchtowers are known as Turret 68A and Turret 68B. Just like the milecastle itself, no proof of these turrets has ever been found. They are also part of the mystery of this section of Hadrian's Wall.

Official Records

Even though Milecastle 68 hasn't been found, it still has official records. These records help archaeologists keep track of important historical sites.