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
A few inscribed stones have been found since Horsley’s day, but none of
them name the cohort which was stationed in the camp. Hence we have no
means of knowing whether Watch-cross has been rightly thrown out of the
list of ‘stations along the line,’ and whether Burgh is, as Horsley
states it to be, the AXELODUNUM of the Notitia, or CONGAVATA, according
to the opinion of Hodgson.
In the absence of more decided remains of the camp or Wall, an
examination of the church of this long straggling town will reward the
attention of the antiquary. It is a good specimen of the fortified
Border churches. It has served the threefold purpose of a church, a
fortress, and a prison.
In case of an inroad from the Scottish coast, the cattle appear to
have been shut up in the body of the church, and the inhabitants to
have had recourse to the large embattled tower at its western end. The
only entrance to this tower is from the inside of the church, and it
is secured by a ponderous iron door, fastening with two large bolts.
The walls of the tower are seven feet thick. Its lowest apartment is a
vaulted chamber, lighted by three arrow-slits. At the south angle is a
spiral stone staircase, leading to two upper chambers.
Many of the stones of which the church is built, are Roman, and exhibit
reticulated tooling.
[Sidenote: KING EDWARD’S MONUMENT.]
Near to Burgh is the site on which the castle of sir Hugh de Morville,
one of the murderers of Thomas à Becket, formerly stood. The adjoining
field is called—‘Hang-man-tree,’ doubtless because my lord had his
gallows here, always ready for use. A neighbouring enclosure bears a
designation not less ominous—‘Spill-blood-holm.’ But the most
interesting historical memorial which the neighbourhood of Burgh
affords, is the monument to king Edward I., which stands on the marsh.
Longshanks had marshalled his army: his numerous host lay encamped
upon the sandy flat on the north of the town: the waters of the Solway
alone separated him from the objects of his vengeance. Here the mighty
Edward was called to enter into conflict with an enemy whom he had
often braved on the battle-field, but who was now to approach him by a
new method of assault. In this struggle, his valour availed him
nothing, his chivalrous hosts could yield him no aid, and no devoted
Eleanor was there to abstract from his veins the subtle poison which
the king of terrors had infused. On Burgh-marsh the ‘ruthless king’
breathed his last. A monument, represented in the vignette at the
close of this part, marks the spot.
[Sidenote: TOWER OF REPENTANCE.]
Another structure, on the opposite side of the Firth, may be noticed by
the traveller. The history of the ‘Tower of Repentance’ is strikingly
illustrative of the disordered state of society in this district before
the union of the two kingdoms.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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