Reasons for Designation
Hadrian's Wall marks one of the frontiers of the Roman Empire. The
international importance of the surviving remains has been recognised through
designation as a World Heritage Site.
The military importance of the Tyne-Solway route across the Pennines was
recognised by the Romans during their early campaigns through northern England
and into Scotland in the second half of the first century AD. At this time a
military road, the Stanegate, was constructed along with a series of forts.
Subsequently the Romans largely withdrew from Scotland and there is evidence
that the Tyne-Solway route was being recognised as a frontier by the start of
the second century AD. This position was consolidated in the early second
century by the construction of a substantial frontier work, Hadrian's Wall,
under the orders of the Emperor Hadrian. Hadrian's successor, Antoninus Pius,
subsequently attempted to establish the boundary further north, between the
Clyde and the Firth of Forth, but by c.AD 160 growing unrest amongst the
native populations of northern Britain and pressures elsewhere in the Empire
caused a retraction back to the Hadrianic line. Hadrian's Wall was then the
frontier of the Roman Empire in Britain until c.AD 400 when the Roman armies
withdrew from Britain.
Stretching over 70 miles from coast to coast, Hadrian's Wall was a continuous
barrier built of stone in the east and, initially, of turf in the west. The
stone wall was originally designed to be ten Roman feet wide and sections of
this width are termed broad wall. A change of plan shortly after construction
began led to a reduction in the width of the Wall to eight Roman feet, such
sections being termed narrow wall. Today, stretches of both wall types
survive, including some sections of narrow wall built on broad wall
foundations. For most of its length a substantial ditch on the northern side
provided additional defence. Where the Wall crossed rivers, bridges were
constructed to carry it across. Construction of the Wall was organised and
executed by legionary soldiers. From the beginning the barrier was planned to
comprise more than just a curtain wall. At regularly spaced intervals of about
a mile along its length lay small walled fortlets known as milecastles. These
were attached to the southern side of the Wall and most had a gateway through
the Wall to the north. Hence they controlled crossing points through the Wall
as well as affording space for a small stable garrison. Between the
milecastles were two equally spaced towers known as turrets. Together the
milecastles and turrets provided bases from which the curtain wall could be
watched and patrolled. Both the turrets and milecastles are thought to have
been higher than the Wall itself to provide suitable observation points. It is
often assumed that a platform existed on the Wall so that troops could
actually patrol along the wall top; it is however far from certain that this
was the case.
At the western end of the Wall a system of towers, small fortlets and palisade
fences extended the frontier system another 30 miles or so down the Cumbrian
coast and helped control shipping moving across the estuary of the Solway
Firth.
As originally planned, and apart from whatever space there was in the
milecastles, provision for the accommodation of garrison troops manning the
Wall was left with the line of forts which already lay along the Stanegate. At
some point a fundamental change of plan took place and forts were constructed
along the line of the Wall itself. There are now known to have been 16 forts
either attached to the Wall or in close association with it. Some overlay
earlier features such as turrets or milecastles. At this stage another linear
element, the vallum, was also added to the defensive system to the south of
the Wall. This was a broad flat-bottomed ditch flanked by a pair of linear
banks. It shadows the course of the Wall for almost all its length, sometimes
lying very close to it but sometimes up to a kilometre away from it. The
vallum's main function was to act as a barrier to restrict access to the Wall
from the south. It also had a function in linking the forts along the Wall
with a method of lateral communication. When the forts were placed along the
wall line no provision was made for a road to link them. This situation was
clearly found impracticable and a metalled track was therefore provided in
places along the vallum between the north mound and the ditch.
Later, after the withdrawal back to the Hadrianic line from the Antonine Wall,
various refurbishments were made throughout the frontier line. At this stage a
new linear feature was added: the `Military Way'. This was a road linking all
elements of the Wall defence, running from fort to fort within the area
bounded by the Wall and the vallum.
Throughout its long history the Wall was not always well maintained. It was
often neglected and sometimes overrun, but it remained in use until the late
fourth century when a weak and divided Roman Empire finally withdrew its
armies from the Wall and Britain.
It now survives in various states of preservation. In places, especially in
the central section, the Stone Wall still remains several courses high and the
attached forts, turrets and milecastles are also clearly identifiable.
Earthwork features such as the ditch, vallum and Military Way also survive
well in places. Elsewhere the Stone Wall has been virtually robbed out and
only its foundations survive beneath the present ground surface. Similarly,
stretches of the earthwork remains, including sections of the Turf Wall, have
been levelled or infilled and now only survive as buried features. Although
some sections of the frontier system no longer survive visibly, sufficient
evidence does exist for its position to be fairly accurately identified
throughout most of its length.
Whilst all the forts added to the Wall are broadly similar in size, no two are
exactly alike and there is no standard internal layout. However, when
originally built, all forts enclosed a fairly standard range of buildings
including a headquarters building, commandant's house, hospital, barracks,
stables, granaries and workshops. The size and number of barracks blocks has,
in the past, been used to determine the size and type of military unit
stationed there. This is a difficult exercise which remains the subject of
much debate. The area outside the fort was put to a variety of uses. There was
usually a bath house and normally a number of temples, burial grounds and
other official establishments such as lodging houses for official visitors.
Over time sprawling external settlements known as vici grew up around many
forts. These housed a range of people and activities attracted by the military
presence. Some of the inhabitants may have been families of troops stationed
on the Wall, although it was not until the third century that soldiers on
active duty were officially permitted to marry. Others may have been retired
soldiers and their families. Traders and merchants are also thought to have
set up workshops and shops in the vici. The most common type of building found
here, as well as in other areas around forts, was the long narrow strip
building. These appear to have been used for both domestic and commercial
purposes.
Drumburgh Roman fort, Hadrian's Wall and its associated features between Burgh
Marsh and Westfield House survive as a series of buried remains. The Roman
fort and section of Wall have significant archaeological potential as has been
confirmed by the archaeological investigations to date. Significant
information on the development of the frontier system over time will be
preserved.
The medieval ditch and structures associated with it will add to our
understanding of medieval activity in the former frontier area and continuity
of the use of this site.
Details
The monument includes Drumburgh Roman fort and the section of Hadrian's Wall
and its associated features between Burgh Marsh in the east and Westfield
House in the west.
Hadrian's Wall survives as a buried feature throughout the whole of this
section. Excavations by Haverfield in 1899 located the Wall between Burgh
Marsh and Drumburgh fort. The Wall measured 2.95m wide and the wall ditch was
8.9m wide and lay 8m north of the wall. Excavations by Charlesworth in 1973
confirmed the course of the Wall north of Glasson. Geophysical survey has also
located the line of the Wall or wall ditch to the north east of Glasson.
The exact location of milecastle 76 has not yet been confirmed. A faint
irregular platform 200m east of Drumburgh Roman fort amongst ridge and furrow
could possibly be the remains of the milecastle platform, however this is not
certain and its position still needs confirmation.
The exact location of milecastle 77 has not yet been confirmed. Excavations by
Charlesworth in 1973 proved inconclusive in determining its position. On the
basis of the usual spacing it is expected to be situated about 50m south of
the junction of the Glasson road with the Bowness-Carlisle road.
Turret 76a was located in 1948 just east of Drumburgh schoolhouse by Simpson,
Hodgson and Richmond. Its remains survive as buried features with no traces
visible above ground.
The exact locations of turrets 76b, 77a and 77b have not yet been confirmed.
On the basis of the usual spacing turret 76b is expected to be located about
90m south of where the dismantled railway crosses Hadrian's Wall east of
Glasson and turret 77a approximately 140m south east of Lowtown House. Turret
77b is believed to be beneath Westfield House or its yard, but it is not
included in the scheduling.
The course of the Roman road known as the Military Way, which ran along the
corridor between the Wall and vallum linking turrets, milecastles and forts,
has not been confirmed in this section. It is expected to run parallel to the
course of the Wall set back a few metres to the south.
Drumburgh Roman fort, known to the Romans as Congavata, commanded an outlook
to the north and east over the Inner Solway. There has been very little
archaeological work carried out on this fort, and it remains one of the least
well known Wall forts. Small scale excavations were carried out in 1899 by
Haverfield who located the remains of a small stone fort. A subsequent
excavation in 1947 by Simpson and Richmond showed that the stone fort lay
within an earlier and larger turf and timber fort with ramparts made from the
readily available alluvial clay. Pottery finds attested an occupation
continuing into the late Roman period. The remains of the fort survive as
buried features. The right angled ditch west of Drumburgh House is was at one
time thought to be the ditch of the Roman fort. The excavations in 1899
however discovered it to be a medieval ditch, although its association has not
been confirmed.
Evidence suggests that Hadrian's Wall did originally pass through the Burgh
Marsh to the east. No remains however have been identified here and hence this
area is not included in the scheduling.
All field boundaries, road surfaces and buildings, including The Grange,
Drumburgh House and its attached outbuildings which are listed Grade II, are
excluded from the scheduling, but the ground beneath them is included.
MAP EXTRACT
The site of the monument is shown on the attached map extract.
