Northumberland Yesterday and To-dayTerry, Jean F. (Jean Finlay)
History
Northumberland Yesterday and To-day
Terry, Jean F. (Jean Finlay)
Northumberland (England) -- Guidebooks; Northumberland (England) -- History
Westward from here, near West Denton Lodge, faint indications of
the turf wall (generally called the Vallum, to distinguish it from
the Murus, or stone wall), come into sight, and traces of a
mile-castle to the left of the road. After this the Vallum and
Murus accompany each other for the rest of their journey, with but
little intermission. The next mile-castle was at Walbottle, from
which point a delightful view of the Tyne valley and the
surrounding country can be obtained. Passing Throckley and
Heddon-on-the-Wall, where the fosse on the northern side of the
Wall is well seen, and also the Vallum and its fosse, Vindolana
(Rutchester) is reached; but there is little evidence here that it
is the site of a once busy and bustling garrison station. Indeed,
up to this point and for a considerable distance further, a few
courses of stones here and there are all that is to be seen of the
Roman Wall, its material having for the most part been swallowed up
in the construction of the turnpike road on which we are
travelling. This road was made in 1745 because there was no road by
which General Wade could convey his troops from Newcastle to
Carlisle, when “Bonnie Prince Charlie” marched so gaily to that
city on his way southward, and so sadly, in a month, returned
again.
The Wall now makes for the ridge of Harlow Hill, while the Vallum
goes on in a perfectly straight line past the picturesque Whittle
Dene and the waterworks, until the Wall joins it again near Welton,
where the old pele-tower is entirely built of Roman stones. After
Matfen Piers, where a road to the northward leads to the beautiful
little village of Matfen, and one to the southward to Corbridge,
the Wall passes Wall Houses and Halton Shields, where the various
lines of the Wall, road, and earthworks, as well as the fosse of
each, can be distinctly seen. Passing Carr Hill, the Wall leads up
to the station of Hunnum (Halton Chesters), where Parnesius was
stationed when Maximus gave him his commission on the Wall. It is
not easy to recognise the site now, but as we follow the road we
may comfort ourselves with the reflection that at least we have
walked right across it from the eastern gate to the western.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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