Roman BritainMilecastle 30 (Limestone Corner)
Roman Fortlet · Military

Milecastle 30 (Limestone Corner)

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: 967060333
Site type
Fortlet
Category
Military
Latitude
55.0385
Longitude
-2.1966
Overview

History & context

Milecastle 30 is a Hadrianic milecastle on the central sector of Hadrian's Wall, situated on the high ridge of Limestone Corner (also known as Teppermoor Hill), the northernmost point of the Wall. Constructed in the 120s AD under Hadrian and occupied, with interruptions, into the later 4th century, it would have been a small fortlet garrisoned by perhaps 8–32 auxiliary soldiers controlling a gateway through the Wall.

Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →

Significance

Historical significance

The site is famous less for the milecastle itself than for its setting: Limestone Corner is where Roman engineers cutting the Vallum ditch to the south abandoned the work on enormous, partly-split dolerite (whin sill) boulders, leaving wedge-slots and displaced blocks still visible in situ — one of the most striking demonstrations on the entire Wall of the limits of Roman quarrying ambition. The northern ditch here was likewise left unfinished for the same reason.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

The milecastle has not been extensively excavated in modern times; it is known principally from surface survey and from antiquarian observation in the 19th and early 20th centuries, which recorded a short-axis (Type II) plan typical of the central sector and stone construction. The associated unfinished engineering works in the Vallum and Wall ditch immediately adjacent are far better recorded than the fortlet's intern

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Milecastle 30 (Limestone Corner)?

Milecastle 30 is a Hadrianic milecastle on the central sector of Hadrian's Wall, situated on the high ridge of Limestone Corner (also known as Teppermoor Hill), the northernmost point of the Wall. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a fortlet site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Milecastle 30 (Limestone Corner)?

Milecastle 30 (Limestone Corner) 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.

What other Roman sites are near Milecastle 30 (Limestone Corner)?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Limestone Corner Roman temporary camp (0.3 km), Turret 29B (Limestone Bank) (0.5 km), Turret 30A (Carrowburgh East) (0.5 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.

How can I research the history of the area around Milecastle 30 (Limestone Corner)?

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 Research

Generate a full report for this location

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 30 (Limestone Corner)