More information : (NY 0964 5015) Roman Tower 13b (Robinson's Wolsty 1880) (1); sited to (NY 0975 5030) by Duff (2).
A Roman tower, a little under a mile NE of Beckfoot camp (NY 94 NE 12), and a little over half a mile west of Wolsty Castle. The remains were found on high ground, in a field owned by Mr Saul about 250 yds from HWM. Only the foundations were found 20.5 ft square externally, and 12.5 ft square internally the corners facing the cardinal points. A few sherds of Samian, Upchurch and Salopian ware were found in the interior. The entrance was apparently to the south-east, a rough pavement 6 ft x 4 ft being opposite that wall. About 400 yards further up the coast Robinson found a pavement 28 ft square resembling a section of the (?Roman) road but much wider than parts of the road south of (Beckfoot) camp. No further portions could be found. (1-3)
The field, having been recently ploughed, the Tower was easily sited at NY 0964 5015 from the amount of typical Hadrian - Antonine cooking pot rims. (4)
(NY 0964 5015) ROMAN TOWER 13B [R] (site of) [NAT] (5)
NY 096 502. Wolsty Bank turret 13b, scheduled. (6)
The position of tower 13b as shown on OS 1:10000 map of 1972 at NY 0964 5015 was confirmed on the ground by R L Belhouse (7a). The situation is on top of a 13m high natural ridge with excellent visibility all round, and the signs of its excavation can still be seen. It had been wrongly sited by Duff (authority 2). The English Heritage scheduled area (authority 6) has been pegged out in the wrong place at NY 0962 5014; as this area has been left unploughed it has the appearance of a stony lump which is easily mistaken for the true site. (7)
Scheduled. (8)
The tower was visible as a cropmark and photographed from the air in 2006. (9)
The Tower 13B, part of the Roman Frontier Defence, was seen as a cropmark and mapped from air photographs. The tower was seen to be approximately 5 m by 5 m. (10)
Located on the English Heritage map of Hadrian's Wall 2010. (11) |