Milecastle 22 (Portgate) was a small fortlet on Hadrian's Wall, constructed in the 120s AD under Emperor Hadrian and garrisoned, with intermittent occupation, into the later 4th century. Like other milecastles it would have housed a small detachment of perhaps 20-30 auxiliary soldiers, controlling movement through a gateway in the Wall and providing accommodation in one or two internal barrack blocks.
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
Its location is particularly important as it lies immediately adjacent to the Portgate, the major crossing point where Dere Street — the principal Roman road running north from York via Corbridge into Scotland — passed through Hadrian's Wall. This made it a key control point for traffic, taxation, and surveillance on one of the busiest north-south arteries in Roman Britain.
The milecastle has not been extensively excavated and its precise remains are poorly preserved, having been disturbed by the later construction of the A68 road and modern development around the Portgate roundabout. Its position is known largely from the regular Wall-mile spacing and antiquarian observation, with the adjacent Portgate itself partially investigated, revealing a monumental arched gateway flanked by guard chambers.
Milecastle 22 (Portgate) was a small fortlet on Hadrian's Wall, constructed in the 120s AD under Emperor Hadrian and garrisoned, with intermittent occupation, into the later 4th century. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a fortlet site from the Roman period in Britain.
Milecastle 22 (Portgate) is classified as a Roman fortlet — a military site in the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer. Roman Britain's archaeology encompasses thousands of sites ranging from legionary fortresses and marching camps to villas, temples and towns.
Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Turret 21B (Fence Burn) (0.5 km), Turret 22A (Portgate) (0.5 km), Onnum (0.8 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.
Aubrey Research generates detailed historical reports for any location in Britain, incorporating Roman heritage, Domesday Book records, scheduled monument data, archaeological finds and much more. Enter a nearby address to begin.
Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in Britain — drawing on Roman heritage, Domesday records, scheduled monument data, archaeological finds and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.
Research the area around Milecastle 22 (Portgate)