More information : A broad and heavily plough-out ditch of potential Roman date is visible as earthworks on air photographs and digital elevation models derived from Environment Agency lidar and Structure from Motion taken from 2017 specialist oblique photography, centred at NY 6133 6622.
The 199 metre length of ditch is parallel to Hadrian's Wall stone wall (1449984) and turf wall (1449868), lying between the two. The feature has been nearly completely levelled, so is very difficult to interpret. The west end, at NY 6124 6618, is close to the terminal end of a section of the Military Way (1449986), but it deviates from the alignment, and does not align on the west gate of Birdoswald fort (13993), where the Military Way is thought to have led. The alignment vaguely corresponds with geophysical results showing the vicus, so it may be a reflection of this. However, it might be that this field has been so much altered by medieval and post medieval agricultural activity that we are seeing much later earthworks following pre-defined alignments. (1-2) |