Hadrian’s Wall Guide to Visible Remains
Carrawburgh / Brocolita Roman Fort
The fort is situated 3.5 miles west of Chesters and 7 miles east of Housesteads and has a car park. It’s an afterthought built after 130AD when the wall had been completed. The vallum goes straight through the fort, having been infilled. From the bold platform, you can see that there are extensive ruins under the grass.
The site covers 3.9 acres. The north wall is under the road, but it is possible to identify the other walls. It was garrisoned by a mixed cavalry and infantry cohort.
There has been little excavation of the site, and what has been done has been covered over. Early in 2020, the site was given to the Nation, but what will the Nation do with it?
Do not get excited.
See the guide to the Fort
Temple of Mithras
Near Carrawburgh Fort stands a fascinating temple to the eastern god Mithras, with facsimiles of altars found during excavation. Sited like many Mithraic temples near a military base, it was founded in the 3rd century and eventually desecrated, probably by Christians.
The temple was only discovered in 1949. Like most temples of this sect, it was mostly underground. The remains of alters which would have been brightly coloured, are in the Hancock Museum in Newcastle.
Nearby, but no longer visible, was the shrine of the water nymph Coventina.
The path crosses the road and in about half a mile we come to the first milecastle
Milecastle 32 (Carraw)
Milecastle 32 remains exist as earthworks and with no exposed masonry. The layout of the milecastle walls is defined (still quite evident) by trenches. The north wall is beneath a modern wall.
Its dimensions are 65.6 ft. (long axis) by 54 ft. giving internal proportions of 10:8, which is normal.[
On to Shield on the Wall
Milecastle 33 (Shield on the Wall)
Its remains exist as clearly visible earthworks, with the exception of part of the north gate and wall, and a fragment of the south gate, which is exposed. Exposed parts survive to a maximum height of 4ft (north wall). The remains are located a few yards to the north of the Military Road, which had left the line of the Wall 100 yards before.
Milecastle 34 (Grindon)
The Road now heads south east while the Wall east towards Sewingshield Crags. There are no visible remains of Milecastle 34, but the site is within a small, tree-filled, walled enclosure located around one third mile east of Sewingshields Farm.
Turret 34A (Grindon West)
The path goes behind Sewingshield Farm as it climbs to the top of the crags through a small wood opening to a long section of Wall on top of the cliff with a long drop to the north.
The Turret is located just to the east of Sewingshields farm. It is constructed with narrow walls (approximately 3ft. thick) having a mortared core. Like some milecastles, it has unusually short wing walls (3 ft.) long and 2 ft. deep), suggesting it was constructed late in the scheme. The cores of both the wall and the turret’s wing walls are of large whinstone blocks. It is 3.75 ft. wide, with a surviving (though worn and cracked) threshold stone. The turret’s internal dimensions are 13 ft. East/west by 7.5 ft
Milecastle 35 (Sewingshields)
The remains of Milecastle are located on the east facing slope of Sewingshields 200yd west of the wood. The milecastle measures 60 by 50ft internally and its walls are up to 10ft wide. A Roman branch road running south from Milecastle 35 to join the Military Way running south of the Wall survives as a low ramp up to 18ft wide and up to 9 inches high
The building in the south east corner dates from the 2nd century while the building in the west date back to the 3rd century. In the fourth century, it was used for metalworking and was occupied until at least the last third of the fourth century.
Turret 35A (Sewingshields Crag)
The turret is located 100yds from the summit. The turret measures 12ft by 8ft internally, and the walls are up to 2ft high. It was excavated in 1958. A rough inscribed slab was found 60ft east of the Turret in the 1958 excavations.
The turret is still on the edge of the cliff.
You can see the trig point in the right hand picture. The views from the top of Sewingshield Crag are magnificent, on the left looking down to Brownlee Lough and on the right hand west along the Wall.
Milecastle 36 (King’s Hill)
The Milecastle is located half a mile from Housesteads on King’s Hill. There is little to see on the ground as most of the walls have been robbed and quarried away. It is a long axis milecastle
You can see the cliffs of the Whin Sill heading west with the Wall following the edge. Housesteads is behind the first wood visible.
Down the hill to Knag Burn Gate.
Knag Burn Gate
This is one of the few gates to the north not from a fort or milecastle. The north gate at Housesteads faced a very steep slope to the north and it was soon blocked off became the north gate for the fort.
The place where Housesteads obtained most of its water as there was no aqueduct. Head around the fort to the car park and visitors centre.