Roman BritainMilecastle 60 (High Strand)
Roman Fortlet · Military

Milecastle 60 (High Strand)

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: 967060290
Site type
Fortlet
Category
Military
Latitude
54.9445
Longitude
-2.8259
Overview

History & context

Milecastle 60 (High Strand) was one of a series of Milecastles or small fortlets built at intervals of approximately one Roman mile along Hadrian's Wall (grid reference NY47196140).

Though its exact position is uncertain, Milecastle 60 is believed to lie about 450 metres (1,480 ft) northeast of Bleatarn Farm in the civil parish of Irthington, at a spot called High Strand, about midway between Oldwall and Bleatarn Farm. In 1851 an altar was ploughed up at this spot. The altar was dedicated to Cocidius, and was erected by the Sixth Legion.

Each milecastle on Hadrian's Wall had two associated turret structures. These turrets were positioned approximately one-third and two-thirds of a Roman mile to the west of the Milecastle, and would probably have been manned by part of the milecastle's garrison. The turrets associated with Milecastle 60 are known as Turret 60A (grid reference NY466612) and Turret 60B (grid reference NY461610). None of the turrets between Milecastles 59 and 72 were sought or identified prior to 1961, and the exact locations of turrets 60A and 60B have not been found.

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

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Milecastle 60 (High Strand)?

Milecastle 60 (High Strand) was one of a series of Milecastles or small fortlets built at intervals of approximately one Roman mile along Hadrian's Wall (grid reference NY47196140). Though its exact position is uncertain, Milecastle 60 is believed to lie about 450 metres (1,480 ft) northeast of Bleatarn Farm in the civil parish of Irthington, at a spot called High Strand, about midway between Oldwall and Bleatarn Farm. 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 60 (High Strand)?

Milecastle 60 (High Strand) 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 60 (High Strand)?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Turret 59A (0.9 km), Watchclose Roman temporary camp (1.3 km), Milecastle 59 (Old Wall) (1.4 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 60 (High Strand)?

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Everything a full report reveals about Milecastle 60 (High Strand)

This page covers the Roman site at Milecastle 60 (High Strand). A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this site alongside scheduled monuments and everything else the record holds within a few miles:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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