Hadrian's Wall - Milecastle 70 - Braelees

Hadrian's Wall Milecastle

Milecastle 70 (Braelees) was one of a series of – Milecastles or small fortlets built at intervals of approximately one Roman mile along Hadrian’s Wall.

The mile fort was located between the villages of Kirkandrews-on-Eden and Beaumont to the north of Cowen Bank on the River Eden. Its exact location has not yet been determined. The position measured from other fortifications of the wall is 300 meters north of Braelees towards Monkhill Beck. A geophysical survey carried out there in 2000 did not produce any usable results. The mile fort was probably completely destroyed by centuries of stone robbery. Remnants of Hadrian’s Wall were discovered during an excavation nearby. To the south of it, a large number of hewn stone blocks were reportedly discovered by a gardener who used them for his rock garden. To the north, on both sides of the Monkhill Beck, remains of the moat can be seen up to two meters deep. Over time, they became part of a dirt road. In the southwest there is also a 110 m long section of thevallum to see.

In 1820 a fragment of a Roman building inscription was found in the river bed of the Eden.?˜ It was later inserted into a house wall in Beaumont. According to the text, the construction work on this wall section was carried out by the fifth cohort of Legio XX Valeria Victrix from Chesters ( Deva ). In 1934 a country house in Beaumont was demolished. A Roman altar was found in the foundations, which was dedicated to the supreme imperial god Iupiter and the genius of a number unit . Their relatives, Aurelian Moors, Valerianus and Gallienus donated the altar. A year later a gardener found a Roman coin in Braeless.

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