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TURRET 34A

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The site of Roman turret 34A, part of the defences on Hadrian's Wall. It is constructed with narrow walls about 0.95 metres wide and with a door to the east 1.15 metres wide. When it was demolished blocking up to 1.2 metres wide was inserted. Internally it measures 3.9 metres east/west by 2.3 metres (excluding the blocking) and has unusually small wing walls 0.9 metres long (east/west), and 0.6 metres deep. It is consolidated. The turret is visible on air photographs.

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[NY 8127 7043] Turret [G.S.] (Site of) (1)

At the next field wall [beyond M/C 34] is the site of turret 34a. Constructed with narrow walls and door to the east; its "point of reduction", only 4 ft. from the S.W. angle, suggests that, like certain milecastles, it came late in the scheme. (2-3)

Scheduled. (4)

Surveyed at 1/2500. A turf covered platform slightly raised above outside ground level. No masonry is visible. (5)

Partly dug in 1913, but apparently unpublished. Excavated by D. Charlesworth in 1971. The precise date whether late 2nd. or early 3rd. c. is debatable, and the pottery found is not likely to contribute any precision as the dating of it is subjective. The turret is square internally, the walls on average 0.90 metres except for its north wall recessed into the curtain wall which is 1.20m. The entrance is on the east. Finds include a javelin-head, a brooch, a coin of Vespasian, Samian etc. A number of successive and scattered hearths were found with a litter of bones and pot sherds, mostly cooking-pot fragments. There was also some evidence of medieval occupation. (6)

The masonry has been consolidated by D. of E. and stands to a height of 0.6m. (7)

The turret was consolidated in 1912 by Simpson (8a). The turret was excavated in 1947 and 1958 and found to measure 19 feet 6 inches W-E and 8 feet 10 inches N-S. There was a maximum of 2 courses still standing and no platform could be seen (8b). The turret was excavated for the Department of the Environment in 1971; found to measure 3.55m N-S and 3.90m E-W with a door to the E and a possible platform in the SW corner. The walls of the turret were narrow and the wing walls were unusually short. Most of the pottery dates to the 2nd century. When it was abandoned the turret was obliterated, the walls were reduced and the S face of the Wall was continued across the site to make a continuous `rampart walk'. Green glazed ware found at the site suggested that the turret was reused at the time of the occupation of Sewingshields Castle (8c). The turret at NY 8127 7043 is constructed with narrow walls about 0.95m wide and with a door to the E 1.15m wide When it was demolished blocking up to 1.2m wide was inserted. Internally it measures 3.9m E-W by 2.3m (excluding the blocking) and has unusually small wing walls 0.9m long (E-W), and 0.6m deep. Consolidated. (8)

The turret walls are visible on air photographs taken in 2000. (11)

Located on the English Heritage map of Hadrian's Wall 2010. (12)

SOURCE TEXT

( 1) Ordnance Survey Map (Scale / Date)

25" 1922

( 2) General reference

Handbook to the Roman Wall 11th Edn 1957 (J Collingwood Bruce) Page(s)113

( 3) Society for Promotion of Roman Studies The journal of Roman studies

38, 1948 Page(s)84

( 4) General reference

Ancient Momuments England and Wales 1955 (MOW) Page(s)76

( 5) Field Investigators Comments

F1 ECW 12-JAN-66

( 6) Archaeological News Bulletin, Northumberland, Cumberland, Westmoreland

(D Charlesworth) 13, 1972 Page(s)8-9

( 7) Field Investigators Comments

F1 BHP 11-MAY-72

( 8) Field Investigators Comments

Pete Topping/17-FEB-1988/RCHME: Hadrian's Wall Project.

( 8a) by F Gerald Simpson; edited by Grace Simpson 1976 Watermills and military works on Hadrian's Wall: excavations in Northumberland, 1907-13

Page(s)77

( 8b) Archaeologia Aeliana : or miscellaneous tracts relating to antiquity

Woodfield, C `Six Turrets on Hadrian's Wall' 43, 1965 Page(s)151-61

( 8c) Archaeologia Aeliana : or miscellaneous tracts relating to antiquity

Charlesworth, D `A Re-examination of Two Turrets on Hadrian's Wall' 1, 1973 Page(s)99

( 9) Scheduled Monument Notification

14-JUL-1997

(10) List of Buildings of Special Architectural or Historic Interest

District of Tynedale, Northumberland: 27.7.87 Page(s)65

(11) Oblique aerial photograph reference number

NMR NY8170/36 (TMG 19860/25) 08-May-2000

(12) English Heritage 2010 An Archaeological Map of Hadrian's Wall, 1:25,000 scale

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