Milecastle 59
{{Short description|Milecastle on Hadrian's Wall}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=April 2022}}
{{Infobox castrum
|name = Milecastle 59
|image = The Hadrian's Wall Path follows a 'green lane' - geograph.org.uk - 3502888.jpg
|caption = Hadrian's Wall Path in the vicinity of Milecastle 59
|alt_names =
|built_during_reign_of =
|founded =
|abandoned =
|previous_fortification =
|type = Milecastle
|province =
|limes =
|coordinates = {{coord|54.94769|-2.804851|display=inline,title}}
|altitude_m =
|altitude_ref =
|map = United Kingdom Cumbria
|map_alt =
|place_name =
|location_town =
|location_county = Cumbria
|location_country = England
|ref:UK:OSNG = {{gbmappingsmall|NY48546174}}
|discovery_year =
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|excavations =
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}}
Milecastle 59 (Old Wall) was a milecastle on Hadrian's Wall ({{gbmapping|NY48546174}}).
Description
Milecastle 59 is on level ground 450 metres east of the hamlet of Oldwall in the civil parish of Irthington.{{NHLE |num=1010988 |desc=Hadrian's Wall and vallum from A6071 to ... the road to Oldwall ... in wall miles 57, 58 and 59 |access-date=10 December 2013|mode=cs2}} It is directly north of Carlisle Airport. The remains of Milecastle 59 are now under pasture, and it is not visible above ground.{{Cite PastScape |num=11612 |desc=Milecastle 59 |access-date=10 December 2013 |mode=cs2}}
Milecastle 59 was excavated in 1894. The excavations yielded stone foundations, and a pottery assemblage, described as being "Romano-British". A geophysical survey conducted in 1981 indicated that the south wall of the milecastle still survives in situ, but that the side walls are ploughed away or robbed out.
An inscription (RIB 2014) was found some 150 metres south of Milecastle 59 near the Vallum. It reads "C(OHORS) IIII LIN(GONUM) F(ECIT)" which translates as "The Fourth Cohort of Lingonians built this."Nic Fields (2003), Hadrian's Wall AD 122–410, page 31, Osprey Publishing. {{ISBN|1841764302}} An altar (RIB 2015) found "near milecastle 59" was dedicated to Mars Cocidius, and erected by a centurion of the First Cohort of Batavians.Guy De la Bédoyère (1999) Companion to Roman Britain, page 174. Tempus
Associated turrets
Each milecastle on Hadrian's Wall had two associated turret structures. These turrets were positioned approximately one-third and two-thirds of a Roman mile to the west of the Milecastle, and would probably have been manned by part of the milecastle's garrison. The turrets associated with Milecastle 59 are known as Turret 59A and Turret 59B. None of the turrets between Milecastles 59 and 72 were sought or identified prior to 1961.{{Cite PastScape |num=1036384 |desc=Turret 59A |access-date=10 December 2013 |mode=cs2|fewer-links=yes}}
=Turret 59A=
=Turret 59B=
Turret 59B ({{gbmapping|NY476615}}) has never been located.{{NHLE |num=1010989 |desc=Hadrian's Wall between the road to Laversdale at Oldwall and Baron's Dike in wall miles 59 and 60 |access-date=10 December 2013|mode=cs2|fewer-links=yes}} Its approximate position can only be estimated in relation to other structures on Hadrian's Wall.