User:Sam.roebuck/Milecastle 21

{{Infobox castle

|name = Milecastle 21

|image = Downhill Quarry (disused).jpg

|caption = The quarry at Downhill which has obliterated any trace of the milecastle

|image_alt =

|coordinates = {{Coord|55.011201|-1.994794}}

|location = Northumberland, England, UK

|pushpin_map = United Kingdom Northumberland

|pushpin_map_caption = Location in Northumberland

|gridref = {{gbmappingsmall|NZ00436851}}

|pushpin_label_position=left

}}

Milecastle 21 (Down Hill) was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. The site was identified by measurement only, as the milecastle's remains have been totally removed. This is probably due to extensive quarrying at the site, which now lies under pasture (and partly beneath the Military Road).

Construction

No details of the Milecastle's construction have been identified.

Excavations and investigations

1966 - English Heritage Field Investigation. It was noted that there were no visible remains, and that the area was greatly disturbed by quarry tracks and spoil.{{cite web|url=http://www.pastscape.org/hob.aspx?hob_id=20473

|title=Milecastle 21|work=Pastscape|publisher=English Heritage|accessdate=3 Aug 2010}}

1989 - English Heritage Field Investigation. It was again noted that there were no visible remains, and the probable location was restated.

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 21 are known as Turret 21A and Turret 21B.

=Turret 21A=

Turret 21A (Red House) is probably located {{convert|73|m|yards}} to the east of the east wall of Onnum, though some doubt has been expressed by an English Heritage field investigation.{{cite web|url=http://www.pastscape.org/hob.aspx?hob_id=18154

| title=Turret 21A | work=Pastscape|publisher=English Heritage|accessdate=3 Aug 2010}} Its remains lie under the modern road.{{Citation | first = David J | last = Breeze

| title = Handbook to the Roman Wall (14th Revised edition - Nov 2006)

| publisher = Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne | year = 1934 | isbn = 0901082651

| pages = 183}}.

Location on Ordnance Survey 1:25 000 map: {{coord|55.010895|-2.003081|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline|name=Turret 21A}}

=Turret 21B=

Turret 21B (Fence Burn) is probably located partly beneath the military road, though the exact location has been speculated due to the presence of a small mound along with dark soil and pottery discovered in 1930.{{Citation | first = Eric B | last = Birley | author-link = Eric Birley

| title = Research on Hadrian's Wall

| publisher = Titus Wilson & Son | year = 1961 | pages = 73,171}}{{cite web|url=http://www.pastscape.org/hob.aspx?hob_id=18160

| title=Turret 21B | work=Pastscape|publisher=English Heritage|accessdate=3 Aug 2010}}

Location on Ordnance Survey 1:25 000 map: {{coord|54.993672|-1.736733|type:landmark_region:GB|display=inline|name=Turret 21B}}

Monument Records

class="wikitable" \|Monument	Monument Number	National Monuments Record Number
Milecastle 21	20473	NZ 06 NW 10
Turret 21A	18154	NY 96 NE 1
Turret 21B	18160	NY 96 NE 3

Public Access

Only worth adding this section if there are extant remains. Access to Milefortlet and turrets.

References

Bibliography

{{citation|last=Daniels|first=Charles|date=1979|title=Review: Fact and Theory on Hadrian's Wall|journal=Britannia|volume=10|pages=357-364 |url=http://www.jstor.org/stable/526069}}