Chesters Roman Fort

B6318, Chollerford, Hexham NE46 4EU

Cilurnum or Cilurvum was a fort on Hadrian's Wall mentioned in the Notitia Dignitatum. It is now identified with the fort found at Chesters (also known as Walwick Chesters to distinguish it from other sites named Chesters in the vicinity) near the village of Walwick, Northumberland, England. It was built in 123 AD, just after the wall's completion.

Cilurnum is considered to be the best preserved Roman cavalry fort along Hadrian's Wall. The site is now preserved by English Heritage as Chesters Roman Fort. There is a museum on the site, housing finds from the fort and elsewhere along the wall.

The site guarded a bridge, Chesters Bridge, carrying the Military Way Roman road behind the wall across the River North Tyne. Massive abutments survive of this bridge across the river from the fort. Cilurnum was a cavalry fort at its foundation, for retaliatory raids into barbarian areas north of the wall, then given over to infantry later. 

Hadrian himself encouraged the "Cult of Disciplina" among legions stationed at the wall, and an early inscription on an altar dedicated to Disciplina, found in 1978, indicates the earliest known military presence was a wing of cavalry, ala Augusta ob virtutem appellata ("named Augusta because of its valour"). Inscriptions have also been found showing the Cohors I Delmatarum, from present-day Bosnia-Herzegovina (Yugoslavia), and the Cohors I Vangionum from Upper Rhineland in Germany were also stationed here.

Four large Roman columns, believed to come from Cilurnum, may be seen supporting the south aisle in the church of St Giles at Chollerton, a couple of miles upstream from the fort.

CHESTERS BRIDGE ABUTMENT
Across the river from Chesters Roman Fort lies the east abutment of the bridge over the North Tyne. A pier embedded in this abutment probably formed part of the Hadrianic bridge. This is thought to have had ten stone piers supporting a timber superstructure carrying a walk across the river.

The position of the robbed east abutment of the bridge and a section of the paved riverbed can be seen in the bottom of the later tower. The visible abutment lay on the east side of the second bridge, which was built in the early third century. A gate tower, the basement of which survives, gave access to the bridge consisting of three stone arches.

Many carved stones from the superstructure of this bridge remain on the site. In the later Roman period a water channel serving a mill south of the bridge, was led through the tower basement.

View my photographs of Chesters Roman Fort  >>

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Hardknott Roman Fort

Hardknott Pass
Holmrook
Cumbria, England
United Kingdom

Hardknott Roman Fort is dramatically sited on the foothills of Scafell Pike, England's highest mountain. It controlled the Esk valley and the east/west route through the Hardknott and Wrynose passes which connected it to the forts at Ravenglass and Ambleside. 

It was built around AD 120 and, although construction work was normally done by Legionaries, Hardknott seems to have been raised by Auxiliary troops albeit they may simply have been upgrading an earlier fort. It was known by the Latin name of Mediobogdo. 

The fort was garrisoned by the Fourth Cohort of Dalmatians (Cohors Quartae Delmatarum), a 500-strong infantry regiment drawn from modern day Bosnia Herzegovina, Croatia and Montenegro

The fort is square with rounded corners, 125 yards long externally, with a rampart wall almost 6 feet thick. Adjacent ditches added to the total width of the defenses. Many of the remaining low walls of the fort were restored some years ago, but an obvious course of dark local slate shows the height of the walls before their rebuilding. The outer wall had four portals, at the center of each side, and guard towers at each corner.

Within the walls are the remaining outlines of several buildings, including two adjacent granaries, the garrison headquarters building, and the commander’s villa. In addition to these stone buildings, timber structures would have housed barracks, but little remains of them. Outside the square of the fort itself lie the remains of the bathhouse, which has a very rare circular sweat room or sauna, and the leveled parade ground, which is considered to be the finest surviving examples in the Western Roman Empire.

Outside the square of the fort are the remains of the bath house (which has a rare circular Sudatorium), and the levelled parade ground, which is considered to be the finest surviving example in the Western Empire

The parade ground is approximately two hundred yards higher up the slope to the east of the fort. A track led up to it from the East Gate of the fort. A plan of the fort by R. G. Collingwood in 1930 shows the parade ground to have been as big as the fort, with embanked edges to ensure a level surface

View all my pictures of the fort here >>

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kenfitzpatrick/albums/72157715048497962

https://www.atlasobscura.com/places/hardknott-roman-fort

Birdoswald Roman Fort

Gilsland, Hadrian's Wall Path, Brampton CA8 7DD

Banna, now known as Birdoswald Roman Fort, was a fort, towards the western end of Hadrian's Wall, in the Roman province of Britannia. 

Today the site is occupied by a former farm called Birdoswald. As of 2005, it is the only site on Hadrian's Wall at which significant occupation in the post-Roman period has been proven, and it is subject to a long-term archaeological programme under the directorship of Tony Wilmott.

It is one of the best preserved of the 16 forts along Hadrian's Wall. The fort is situated in a commanding position on a triangular spur of land bounded by cliffs to the south and east overlooking a broad meander of the River Irthing in Cumbria. In Roman times, the fort was known as Banna ("horn" in Celtic), reflecting the geography of the site.

The fort was occupied by Roman auxiliaries from approximately AD 112 to AD 400. In this western part of Hadrian's Wall, the wall itself was originally built from turf, later replaced with stone (Hogan, 2007). The stone fort was built some time after the wall, in the usual playing card shape, with gates to the east, west and south. Inside were built the usual stone buildings, a central headquarters building (principia), granaries and barracks. 

Unusually for an auxiliary fort, it also included an exercise building perhaps reflecting the difficulties of training soldiers in the exposed site in the north of England.

The two mile sector of Hadrian's Wall either side of Birdoswald is also of major interest. It is currently the only known sector of Hadrian's Wall in which the original turf wall was later replaced by a stone wall on a different line. When the rebuilding took place (probably in the 130s) the line of the wall was moved approximately 50 metres further north, to line up with the fort's north wall, rather than its east and west gates. 

The reasons for this change are unclear, although David Woolliscroft (Woolliscroft, 2001) has plausibly suggested that it was the result of changing signalling requirements. At any rate, this remains the only area in which both the walls can be directly compared.

Approximately 600 metres east of Birdoswald, at the foot of an escarpment, lies the remains of Willowford bridge. This carried Hadrian's Wall across the River Irthing. The westward movement of the river course over the centuries has left the east abutment of the bridge high and dry, while the west abutment has probably been destroyed by erosion. Nevertheless, the much-modified visible remains are highly impressive. Until 1996, these remains were not directly accessible from the fort, but they can now be reached by a footbridge.

View all photographs of Birdoswald Roman Fort 

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Housesteads Roman Fort

Haydon Bridge, Bardon Mill, Hexham NE47 6NN

Housesteads Roman Fort is the remains of an auxiliary fort on Hadrian's Wall. Its ruins are at Housesteads in the civil parish of Bardon Mill in Northumberland, England, south of Broomlee Lough. The fort was built in stone around AD 124, soon after the construction of the wall began in AD 122 when the area was part of the Roman province of Britannia. 

Its name has been variously given as Vercovicium, Borcovicus, Borcovicium, and Velurtion. The name of the 18th-century farmhouse of Housesteads gives the modern name.

The site is owned by the National Trust and is in the care of English Heritage. Finds can be seen in the site museum, in the museum at Chesters, and in the Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle upon Tyne.

Hadrian's Wall was begun in AD 122. A fort was built in stone at the Housesteads Roman Fort site around AD 124 overlying the original Broad Wall foundation and Turret 36B. The fort was repaired and rebuilt several times, its northern defences being particularly prone to collapse. A substantial civil settlement (vicus) existed to the south, outside the fort, and some of the stone foundations can still be seen, including the so-called "Murder House", where two skeletons were found beneath an apparently newly-laid floor when excavated.

In the 2nd century AD, the garrison consisted of an unknown double-sized auxiliary infantry cohort and a detachment of legionaries from Legio II Augusta. In the 3rd century, it comprised Cohors I Tungrorum, augmented by the numerus Hnaudifridi and the Cuneus Frisiorum, a Frisian cavalry unit, cuneus referring to a wedge formation. The Tungrians were still there in the 4th century, according to the Notitia Dignitatum. By 409 AD the Romans had withdrawn.

Most other early forts straddle the Wall and therefore protrude into barbarian territory. It is also unusual for Britain in that it has no running water supply and is dependent upon rainwater collection (for which purpose there is a series of large stone-lined tanks around the periphery of the defences). It also has one of the best-preserved stone latrines in Roman Britain.

The fourth century saw substantial changes to Housesteads Fort. The vicus was abandoned around AD 320 and elements of it seem to have moved within the fort's perimeter. Some of the barrack blocks were adapted into 'chalets' and probably served as accommodation for soldier's families. The defences of the fort were also substantially enhanced suggesting a deterioration in the security situation enjoyed during much of the third century AD.

Housesteads was occupied until the end of Roman Britain in the early fifth century AD. However, once the connections with Rome were severed it is likely the population departed soon after as the fort's remote location made it unsuitable for supporting large settlements. 

There is no evidence of the site remaining occupied during the Dark Ages or Medieval period with the nearest manors being Sewingshields Castle and Bradley Hall. The abandoned fort became a shelter for the thieves and raiders who plagued the lawless border region - the so-called Border Reivers. This continued into the seventeenth century when the notorious Armstrongs occupied the site. However, following the Union of the Crowns in 1603 efforts were made to suppress lawless activity and it ended completely following the construction of the military roads in the early eighteenth century effectively making the site easily accessible to the authorities.

View more of my photographs here..

https://www.flickr.com/photos/kenfitzpatrick/albums/72157713334982556

https://www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/housesteads-roman-fort-hadrians-wall/

Temple of Mithras

Temple of Mithras. Carrawburgh.

About mid way between Housesteads Roman Fort and Chesters Roman Fort is a fairly large car park on the south side of the B6318, the road that follows the line of Hadrian's Wall. This is Brocolitia, also known as Carrawburgh, and although it is not immediately obvious from the car park, it's a stop that is well worth making, as it allows access to a monument that is unique on Hadrian's Wall, the Brocolitia Mithraeum, or Temple of Mithras.

Temple of Mithras is a 'mithraeum', or temple dedicated to the god Mithras, a form of sun god whose cult became extremely popular among soldiers of the Roman legions.

The Temple stands close to the site of Carrawburgh Roman Fort, known to the Romans as Brocolitia. The fort is largely unexcavated, but the temple has been well examined. On display are copies of mithraic altars found during excavation on the site.

The Temple of Mithras can be found in the valley of a stream immediately below and to the south west of Carrawburgh Fort. Mithras was a Persian warrior god who, according to legend, entered a cave and killed a bull that had been created at the dawn of time. The cult of Mithras placed great emphasis on valour, honour, and military prowess, and Temples of Mithras, or mithraea, were fairly common in civilian settlements close to Roman forts. Several are known to have existed along Hadrian's Wall, but Carrawburgh's is the only one that can be seen today.

Temples of Mithras tended to be sunk into the surrounding landscape and be entirely without windows, in an attempt to recreate the sense of the cave in which the bull was slain. What you find at Carrawburgh is the stone base of a rectangular building, with walls rising, at their highest, up to about eight courses. 

Inside the temple entrance is a small lobby with a hearth and statue of a mother goddess. A wooden screen separates the lobby from the main temple. Within the main body of the temple are statues of Mithras' attendants Cautopates and Cautes. A narrow central passage is flanked by two earthen benches. The far end of the temple housed three altars, one depicting Mithras with his crown. Rituals, including sacrifices, would be conducted in this altar area.

Only the fort's earthworks are now visible, the Wall at this point and the fort's north ramparts having been demolished for the construction of General Wade's early 18th-century military road (now the B6318). The late 19th-century archaeologist John Clayton carried out a partial excavation of the site, revealing a military bath-house outside the fort's west gate (in 1873) and the fort's south-west corner-tower (in 1876).

View few more pictures HERE Pictures taken by Ken Fitzpatrick.

Brunton Turret.

BRUNTON TURRET 26B.

Turret 26B (Brunton) is located just to the west of Brunton House, between it and the A6079. It is preserved with upstanding remains up to 2.8 metres (9.2 ft) high, and forms part of a 69 metres (75 yd) extant section of Hadrian's Wall. Within the turret is a free-standing altar. The turret was first excavated by John Clayton during 1873 and later by T. Hepple in 1930. It has since been consolidated.

The turret measures 3.88 metres (12.7 ft) by 3.5 metres (11 ft)  internally, and is recessed about 1.22 metres (4.0 ft) into the wall. It has a doorway nearly 1.22 metres (4.0 ft) wide. The side walls of the turret are 0.84 metres (2.8 ft) thick. Hadrian's Wall forms the north wall of the turret, which was standing eleven courses high in 1947. 

Its south wall is nearly 1.22 metres (4.0 ft) high. On the east side of the turret the broad wall wing is joined by a narrow section of wall, indicating that the turrets were built first and the Wall was then built up to them. 

Near to the turret a centurial stone was found in situ with the inscription COH IX > PAV.APRI ('The century of Paulus Aper of the ninth cohort').

Public Access

The sites of Milecastle 26 and Turret 26A are accessible via the Hadrian's Wall National Trail. Turret 26B is accessible from the east side of the A6079, just south of its junction with the B6318 Military Road.

All pictures taken by Ken Fitzpatrick.

https://co-curate.ncl.ac.uk/brunton-turret-hadrians-wall/

Linlithgow Palace

Linlithgow Palace..

The ruins of Linlithgow Palace are situated in the town of Linlithgow, West Lothian, Scotland, 15 miles (24 km) west of Edinburgh. The palace was one of the principal residences of the monarchs of Scotland in the 15th and 16th centuries. Although maintained after Scotland's monarchs left for England in 1603, the palace was little used, and was burned out in 1746. It is now a visitor attraction in the care of Historic Environment Scotlan

Present day entrance (Ken Fitzpatrick)

A royal manor existed on the site in the 12th century. This was replaced by a fortification known as 'the Peel', built in the 14th century by occupying English forces under Edward I. The site of the manor made it an ideal military base for securing the supply routes between Edinburgh Castle and Stirling Castle. The English fort was begun in March 1302 under the supervision of two priests, Richard de Wynepol and Henry de Graundeston. The architect, Master James of St George, was also present.

 

In September 1302, sixty men and 140 women helped dig the ditches; the men were paid twopence and the women a penny daily. A hundred foot-soldiers were still employed as labourers on the castle in November and work continued during the Summer of 1303.

 

In 1424, the town of Linlithgow was partially destroyed in a great fire. King James I started the rebuilding of the Palace as a grand residence for Scottish royalty, also beginning the rebuilding of the Church of St Michael immediately to the south of the palace: the earlier church had been used as a storeroom during Edward's occupation.

 

Inner court yard with original castle entrance (Ken Fitzpatrick)
 

Over the following century the palace developed into a formal courtyard structure, with

significant additions by James III and James IV. James V was born in the palace in April 1512, the household of his mother Margaret Tudor at Linlithgow included the African servants Margaret and Ellen More.

 

James V added the outer gateway and the elaborate courtyard fountain. The stonework of the South façade was renewed and unified for James V in the 1530s by the keeper, James Hamilton of Finnart. Mary, Queen of Scots, was born at the Palace in December 1542 and occasionally stayed there during her reign. 

 

James VI of Scotland gave lands including the palace to his bride Anne of Denmark as a "morning gift". On 14 May 1590 Peder Munk, the Admiral of Denmark, was welcomed at the palace by the keeper Lewis Bellenden and took possession or (sasine) by accepting a handful of earth and stone.

 

Their daughter Princess Elizabeth lived in the Palace in the care of Helenor Hay, Countess of Linlithgow. After the Union of the Crowns in 1603 the Royal Court became largely based in England and Linlithgow was used very little. The old North Range, described as 'ruinous' in 1599, collapsed on 6 September 1607, and The 1st Earl of Linlithgow wrote to King James VI & I with the news:

 

King James had it rebuilt between 1618 and 1622. The carving was designed by the mason William Wallace. In July 1620, the architect, James Murray of Kilbaberton, estimated that 3,000 stones in weight of lead would be needed to cover the roof, costing £3,600 in Pound Scots (the Scottish money of the time).

On 5 July 1621 the then Earl of Mar wrote to James to tell him he had met Murray and viewed the works at 'grate lenthe.' He said the Palace would be ready for the King at Michaelmas. The carving at the window-heads and the Royal Arms of Scotland were painted and gilded, and the old statues of the Pope, Knight, and Labouring Man on the east side had also been painted.

West and South facing walls of the Palace.
 

However, the only reigning monarch to stay at Linlithgow after that date was King Charles I,
who spent a night there in 1633. In 1648, part of the new North Range was occupied by The 2nd Earl of Linlithgow. An English visitor in October 1641 recorded in a poem that the roof of the great hall was already gone, the fountain vandalised by those who objected on religious grounds to the motto "God Save the King," but some woodcarving remained in the Chapel Royal.

The palace's swansong came in September 1745, when Bonnie Prince Charlie visited Linlithgow on his march south but did not stay overnight. It is said that the fountain was made to flow with wine in his honour. The Duke of Cumberland's army destroyed most of the palace buildings by burning in January 1746.


View more of my Linlithgow Palace pictures HERE

Linlithgow Palace Wikipedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Linlithgow_Palace

Historic Scotland HERE