More information : A Roman altar, now at Alnwick Castle, was first seen near Habitancum by Hodgson and Trevelyan (about 1827) "in the back of a hedge near a spring close to the east side of Watling Street, where that ancient way is crossed by a bridle road": this is the road from Redesdale to Broomhope Mill. The text is: SOMNIO PRAE/ MONITUS/ MILES HANC/ PONERE JUS/ SIT/ARAM QUAE/ FABIO NUP/ TA EST NYM/ (P) HIS VENE/ RANDIS - 'Warned in a dream the soldier ordered her who is married to Fabius to set up this altar to revere the nymphs'. The nymphs presumably belonged to the adjacent spring which feeds a western tributary of chesterholme Burn. The stone is 2'6" high, 11" wide and 11" deep. The die is 18" high and 9" wide. The letters are 1 1/8" high. "C 998 LS 607". (1) The Altar is No 849 in the Lower Chamber at Alnwick Castle. (2) Present location of altar correct as in (2). (3) NY 89758446. Approximately sited from the information in (1) to the junction of Dere Street and the Ridsdale-Broomhope road. The 'Hedge' referred to is presumably one of the field walls east of the Roman road. There are two streams in the area but no springs. (4)
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