The Roman Wall: A historical, topographical, and descriptive account of the barrier of the lower isthmus, extending from the Tyne to the Solway, deduced from numerous personal surveysBruce, J. Collingwood (John Collingwood)
History
The Roman Wall: A historical, topographical, and descriptive account of the barrier of the lower isthmus, extending from the Tyne to the Solway, deduced from numerous personal surveys
Bruce, J. Collingwood (John Collingwood)
Great Britain -- Antiquities, Roman; Walls, Roman -- Great Britain
Ascending the next hill, called Tower Tay, the earth-works are still
very conspicuous. About half way up are the ruins of a tower, erected
about a century ago, as an object in the landscape. It stands on the
Wall, and has been entirely formed out of its stones. At the summit, the
ditches of both Wall and Vallum are cut through the native rock, of
which the hill consists, and are in excellent order. The Wall stands
very near the edge of a scar, sufficiently elevated to have formed of
itself a defence; it is remarkable that the Romans should have thought
it necessary to draw a ditch on the north side of it at all.
Looking forward from the top of this hill, we see, for a considerable
distance, all the lines of the Barrier proceeding on their course;
descending one hill and ascending the opposite, called the
Limestone-bank, they keep perfectly parallel. It would have delighted
Horsley’s heart to notice that the present road runs upon the north
agger of the Vallum, maintaining, as he did, that this was the Military
Way of Agricola.
At a short distance, further in advance, the ruins of a mile-castle are
seen on the right. The whole of the facing-stones are gone, as is
usually the case, and the place where it stood is chiefly marked by the
vacuity occasioned by their removal. This castellum measures, inside,
fifty-four feet from east to west, and sixty-one from north to south; it
has been protected by a fosse. A long range of the Wall is next seen in
the Black-carts farm, in an encouraging state of preservation; it is
between five and six feet high, and shews, in some places, seven courses
of facing-stones.
[Sidenote: TEPPER-MOOR.]
On the summit of the next hill, many objects of great interest await us.
The view from it is most extensive. To the north, a vast sweep of
country meets the eye; a beautiful undulated valley occupies the
foreground, behind it the hills rise boldly, and the lofty Cheviots
bound the scene. Chipchase castle occupies a commanding position. The
modern mansion of Nunwick, embowered in wood, selects the lower ground.
Towards the west, the lofty crags traversed by the Wall come into view.
In the corner of a field adjoining the road, are the remains of another
mile-castle; it measures fifty-seven feet by fifty-four. Horsley says,
it was detached about a yard from the Wall, the reason of which was not
very obvious. A portion of the Roman Military Way may here be seen as it
curves towards the gateway of the castellum, and again recedes from it.
A good section of it is obtained at the margin of the places where its
stones have been removed to form the stone dikes of the field.
[Illustration:
H. Burdon Richardson, Del. John Storey, Lith.
THE WORKS, TEPPER MOOR.
]
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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