Milecastle 8 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Milecastle 8 |
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| Tyne and Wear, England, UK | |
Milecastle 8 lies under the A69 road
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 Milecastle 8
Location in Tyne and Wear
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| Coordinates | 54°59′11″N 1°42′02″W / 54.986472°N 1.70064°W |
Milecastle 8 (also called West Denton) was a small fort built by the Romans. It was part of Hadrian's Wall, a huge wall they built across northern England. Today, you can find its remains in West Denton, Newcastle upon Tyne.
This milecastle had two smaller lookout towers called turrets. They are known as Turret 8A and Turret 8B. Experts dug up (excavated) the milecastle and its turrets in the 1920s. They found old pottery and carved stones. However, modern roads now cover these ancient sites. Because of the roads, it's hard to know exactly where the structures were. Milecastle 8 is now part of the Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site. This means it's a very important historical place.
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Building Milecastle 8
There is some debate about the exact spot where Milecastle 8 was built. In 1929, one study said it was about 1,488 meters (1,627 yards) east of Milecastle 9. Another expert, Madeleine Hope Dodds, said in 1930 it was about 1,465 meters (1,602 yards) from Milecastle 9.
The Ordnance Survey, which makes maps, uses an average of these two locations. Today, the site of Milecastle 8 is buried. It lies underneath the A69 dual carriageway, a busy modern road.
Digging Up History: What We Found
Excavations at Milecastle 8
Experts dug up Milecastle 8 in 1928. At that time, it was on a natural small hill. During the dig, they found old pottery and other ancient items. But they did not find any actual walls or parts of the milecastle building.
It's possible that people in the past took away the stones from the milecastle. They might have used the stones to build other things. This is called "stone-robbing."
Carved Stone Heads
Near the site, diggers found two special carved stones. These stones look like "Celtic heads." They might show local Celtic gods or spirits. Or, they could have been brought from Europe by Roman soldiers. These interesting heads were found in 1969 and 1980.
Lookout Towers: Associated Turrets
Every milecastle along Hadrian's Wall had two small lookout towers. These towers are called turrets. They were placed about one-third of a Roman mile (about 540 meters or 590 yards) apart. Soldiers from the milecastle would have guarded these turrets. The turrets linked to Milecastle 8 are Turret 8A and Turret 8B.
Turret 8A: West Denton
Turret 8A (West Denton) was found in 1929. Experts located it by finding pottery and signs of old living areas. It was about 478 meters (522 yards) west of Milecastle 8. Today, this turret is also under a modern road. So, you cannot see any remains of it.
Some old reports disagree on the exact spot of Turret 8A. The Ordnance Survey also gives a different location on its maps. This turret is now hidden beneath the modern A69 road.
Ordnance Survey location: 54°59′17″N 1°42′28″W / 54.987926°N 1.707661°W
Turret 8B: Union Hall
Turret 8B (Union Hall) was explored in 1929. It was placed about 487 meters (532 yards) west of Milecastle 8. This means it was about 501 meters (548 yards) east of Milecastle 9. However, old records from that time do not all agree on this exact spot.
When it was dug up, a road ran next to the turret. The south wall of the turret was found. It was about 6 meters (19 feet 10 inches) long. It had a doorway and was two "courses" (layers) of stone high. Later, the road was moved. Now, it lies right over the turret's site. This means there are no visible signs of the turret on the surface today. This turret is also located underneath the modern A69 road.
Ordnance Survey location: 54°59′21″N 1°42′53″W / 54.989291°N 1.714684°W
See also
In Spanish: Castillo miliar 8 para niños
