Summary
Buried and slight earthwork remains of a section of the frontier of the Roman Empire constructed from AD122, one of the schedulings that is included within the World Heritage Site. This section includes nearly 2km of Hadrian’s Wall with the sites of Milecastle 68 and Turrets 67a, 67b and 68a, along with approximately 0.8km of the associated Vallum (a substantial linear ditch flanked by banks).
Reasons for Designation
The section of Hadrian's Wall between the east end of Davidson’s Banks and the road to Grinsdale and the Vallum between Davidson’s Banks and the dismantled railway in Wall miles 67 and 68 is scheduled for the following principal reasons:
* Survival: LiDAR data and aerial photographs indicate that Hadrian’s Wall and associated features survive as a series of buried deposits, and areas of slight upstanding earthworks;
* Potential: archaeological excavation in 2011 demonstrated that the monument retains archaeological, artefactual and environmental information relating to the origin, development and abandonment of the Roman frontier system;
* Historic interest: Hadrian's Wall is an outstanding example of a fortified limes; it is one of the frontiers of the Roman Empire, exhibiting an ambitious and coherent system of defensive constructions, whose universal value has been recognised through its designation as a World Heritage Site.
History
Hadrian's Wall marks one of the frontiers of the Roman Empire, and the international importance of the surviving remains has been recognised through designation as a World Heritage Site. Construction began in AD 122 and, extending over 70 miles from Bowness-on-Solway in the west to Wallsend on the River Tyne, it consists of a number of inter-linked linear elements with attached strong points. From north to south the linear elements are: the ditch, massive and V-shaped though not complete all along the line; the berm between the ditch and the wall often containing associated features; the Wall itself, built of stone for most of its length although initially entirely built in turf in Cumbria; the Military Way, a road connecting the various installations along the line and surviving visibly for long stretches; the Vallum, an enigmatic and unique earthwork construction (added in about AD 124), and a counterscarp and glacis to the north of the Wall. The strong points consist of the forts (added in about AD 124), a milecastle every mile and two turrets, evenly spaced, to every mile. It has been assumed that this scheme was rigidly adhered to regardless of terrain and indeed this seems to be the case in many instances. A screen of forts, without the associated linear features, extends along the Cumbria coast thereby protecting the western flank of the Wall, and there are outpost forts to the north. Throughout its long history the frontier was not always well maintained but it remained in use until the late fourth century when a weak and divided Roman Empire finally withdrew its armies from Britain.
The Vallum lies to the south of the Wall and was added to the defensive system while construction of the Wall was still underway. It comprises a broad ditch, about 6m wide with steeply sloping sides, flanked by a pair of linear banks about 6m wide at the base, separated from the ditch by a wide berm to either side of about 9m, with frequent causeways. 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 purpose is considered to be that of defining the limit of the military zone and increasing control of movement across it as well as providing an additional layer of defence from attacks from the north. It also had a function in linking the forts along the Wall with a method of lateral communication, and a metalled track was therefore provided in places between the north mound and the ditch.
ARCHAEOLOGICAL HISTORY: the earthworks of Hadrian’s Wall and Vallum were surveyed by Henry Maclauchlan in the mid-C19, this data being supported, within the area of the monument, by the findings of aerial survey analysis by English Heritage’s National Mapping Programme completed in 2008, and by fresh analysis of LiDAR data and aerial photographs by Historic England in 2022. Archaeological excavation work by Oxford Archaeology North in 2011, in advance of the construction of the A689, confirmed the survival of archaeological remains of Hadrian’s Wall (both turf-built and stone-built phases) and the Vallum. Much smaller-scale evaluation excavation by Oxford Archaeology North at the eastern end of the monument in 2022 did not identify remains of the Vallum. The western of the three 1.8m wide trenches excavated stopped short of the line of the Vallum ditch; the middle trench was located in an area now considered to be a causeway across the Vallum, just south of the expected site of Turret 67a; the eastern trench, which was located in an area removed from the scheduling in 2022 to the east of the monument’s boundary, identified a C19 clay extraction pit.
Details
PRINCIPAL ELEMENTS: the monument includes the buried remains of a section of Hadrian's Wall and its associated features between the eastern end of Davidson's Banks in the east and the road to Grinsdale in the west and the Vallum and its associated features between Davidson's Banks in the east and the dismantled railway, north of Knockupworth Cottage in the west.
DESCRIPTION: Hadrian's Wall survives as a buried feature throughout the whole of this section with no remains visible above ground. Its course, as depicted on Ordnance Survey maps, is based on MacLauchlan's 1857 survey. The course follows the crest of the river cliff overlooking the River Eden to the north. There was probably no wall ditch along this section as the steep river cliff, which is now being eroded back by the river, would have rendered a ditch here superfluous. The exact location of milecastle 68 has not yet been confirmed. However, on the basis of the usual spacing, it is expected to be located in the wood to the north of Boomby Gill. Surface remains of robber trenches were noted here in 1972 but these have not been confirmed since. The exact locations of turrets 67a, 67b and 68a have also not yet been confirmed. On the basis of the usual spacing they are anticipated to lie on the line of the wall at the eastern end of the monument; below the electricity transmission lines which cross Davidson's Banks; and 240m ESE of the Recreation Hall on the road to Grinsdale respectively. The course of the Vallum is known throughout most of this section, in places as a buried feature, and as a slight intermittent earthwork visible on the ground as a low depression averaging 30m wide. The north mound survives up to 0.5m high at the east end of this section with crossings still evident. The course of the Roman road known as the Military Way, which ran along the corridor between the Wall and the Vallum linking turrets, milecastles and forts, has not yet been confirmed in this section.
AREA OF MONUMENT: the monument extends to include the full extent of the archaeological remains of Hadrian’s Wall and its associated features between the road to Grinsdale and the area disturbed by a C19 clay extraction pit and a former railway yard at the eastern end of Davison’s Banks, this area also including the buried and earthwork remains of the Vallum from the C19 clay pit westwards to a point north-east of Knockupworth Cottage where the course of the Vallum is crossed by the line of a disused railway. This area includes an additional 5m margin considered essential for the support and protection of the monument. All field boundaries, the footbridge crossing Boomby Gill, electricity pylons and road surfaces within the area of the monument are excluded from the scheduling, but the ground beneath them is included.
