The Roman fort on the Devils Causeway they called Avalna
Location
Learchild, a Roman Fort is six and half mile west of Alnwick along B6341, turning second right after leaving Alnwick Lemmington Bank
After 2.6 miles there is a small lane on the left
The fort is half mile down the lane immediately before the disused railway line. The site of the fort has good views to the north, south and west with high ground to the east.
As there are almost no road signs, hence detailed instructions. It is a mile from the A697 near Whittingham
Devil’s Causeway
There is a road for Learchild to High Rochester Roman Fort about 20 miles away.
Just after Dere St crosses the Wall at Postgate, there is a road branching northeast to what is today Berwick on Tweed called the Devil’s Causeway. Learchild is about 30 miles along this road.
There is no record of any Roman site at Berwick or in “East Scotland” until the Edinburgh area.
The road was probably built late in the 1st century built of cobbles 22ft wide. It has been suggested it was used for Cavalry patrols first from Corbridge and from Halton Chesters Roman Fort, in the 3rd century when it became a full Cavalry fort
The Fort
Learchild is situated on a slight rise with good view north, south and west with higher ground to the east as can be seen above. It is not an obvious location. Two forts were built on site; the earliest was inside the later fort.
The first fort was built probably built towards the end of the first of the 1st century. Although described as a fort. Fortlet would be a better description. Only the east and north walls have been identified with double ditches in front of the walls deliberately filled in probably when the second fort was built. They were 8ft wide and 8ft apart. The east was at least 250ft long and the north 130ft, which if accurate had area 0.75 acres, indicating a small garrison of 160 men.
The fortlet was replaced by considerably larger 2nd century fort. The date has not been identified, not it may have been identified with Antonine Invasion around 140AD.It remained a turf and timber construction with 23ft clay walls with a single 15ft ditch in front of the wall. Again only the east and northern were identified measuring at least 760ft in the east and 250ft in the north. This represents a fort of over 4 acres, assuming the fort was rectangular; again there is no identifiable evidence without artefacts and inscriptions.
The fort have been surveyed rather than excavated, so there is little say.