Milecastle 72 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Milecastle 72 |
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Milecastle 72 lies next to the road passing through Burgh by Sands
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 Location in the City of Carlisle district
Location in Cumbria
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| Type | Milecastle |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 54°55′20″N 3°03′22″W / 54.922312°N 3.056017°W |
| County | Cumbria |
| Country | England |
Milecastle 72 (Fauld Farm) was a small fort built by the Romans. It was part of Hadrian's Wall, a huge stone barrier that stretched across northern England. These "milecastles" were placed about one Roman mile apart along the wall. They helped soldiers guard the border.
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What is Milecastle 72?
Milecastle 72 is located in the village of Burgh by Sands. It was built about 400 metres west of a larger Roman fort called Aballava. Today, you can't see any parts of Milecastle 72 above the ground. Its east wall is actually under a farm path.
Digging Up the Past: What We Found
Archaeologists found and partly dug up Milecastle 72 in 1960. They came back to excavate it again in 1977 and 1989. During these digs, they uncovered the north, west, and east walls of the milecastle.
The archaeologists learned that Milecastle 72 was first built with walls made of turf (like thick grass and soil). Later, probably in the second half of the 2nd century, these turf walls were replaced with stone ones. This happened around the same time that other parts of Hadrian's Wall were also changed from turf to stone. The stone walls were about 2.2 metres wide. The entire stone milecastle was about 24.3 metres wide. The space inside the walls was about 19 metres wide. The south side of the milecastle has not been found yet. Most of the pottery found during the excavations was from the 2nd century.
The Turrets: Small Watchtowers
Every milecastle along 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 of the milecastle. Soldiers from the milecastle would have guarded these turrets. The turrets linked to Milecastle 72 are known as Turret 72A and Turret 72B.
Turret 72A: Still Hidden
Turret 72A has never been found. Its likely position has been worked out based on where other milecastles and turrets are. Some small pieces of pottery have been found near where it should be, but no actual trace of the turret itself has been discovered.
Turret 72B: A Glimpse of the Past
Turret 72B, also known as Rindle Hill, was found and partly dug up in 1948. It is located in the northeast corner of a field. The excavations showed that this turret was part of the original Turf Wall system. It stuck out about 1.2 metres north of where the later Stone Wall was built. Like the milecastle, there are no visible remains of Turret 72B above ground today.
