England -- Antiquities, Roman; Hadrian's Wall (England); Walls, Roman -- England
II. Here a wall of superior masonry, of the {ix} character usually
associated with Hadrian's Wall, has been built, 7½ feet wide, on the
lower courses of the earlier wall, the original wall having been
allowed to remain near the water. The new wall was found to be
accompanied by a road about 14 feet wide, which was carried up to an
abutment of large masonry blocks--re-used material, apparently taken
from the breastwork of the earlier abutment. The road has a gravel
surface and a foundation of cobbles.
III. A tower, larger than the one at Chesters, was built on the top
of the aforesaid road-abutment. Of its two floor-levels, the
earlier, of clay, was Hadrianic or Antonine, later than the Wall, and
earlier than the late Antonine rising. The second floor, of sand,
was also probably second century, the two floors agreeing
approximately with what are known as the 1_a_and 1_b_ levels.
A new length of wall, westwards towards the river, was added when the
tower was built, the abutment was reconstructed, and buttressed on
the south side by a massive tapering breastwork.
IV. Possibly a rectangular abutment was added to the face of the
tapering breastwork, but this phase is not yet clear.
V. A very massive curved abutment and a Water-pier, with stone
pavement between them, were constructed still farther west, forming
an open {x} sluice. The character of this work suggests the time of
Severus or later in the third century.
VI. The open sluice was filled with gravel and stones, sealed down
with a layer of lime; probably in the fourth century.
Since the work is still in progress, these notes can only indicate
the stage reached up to 17th November 1924.
Dr. Shaw has also excavated two Wall-turrets, one behind the byre of
Willowford farm-house, which has been left uncovered, and another
nearer Gilsland. The Wall was found to have been thickened to 10
feet in width in the neighbourhood of the turrets.
* * * * * * *
The question has often been raised as to whether it is better to walk
the Wall from east to west (as I did) or from west to east. I am an
"East-to-Wester" all the time. It is far pleasanter to end the walk
on the seashore of a picturesque fishing-village than in the smoky
suburbs of a great industrial city.
And has not the trend of humanity always been westward? ... "A kind
of _heavenly_ destiny," says Wordsworth in his "Stepping Westward."
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account