Roman BritainMilecastle 61 (Wallhead)
Roman Fortlet · Military

Milecastle 61 (Wallhead)

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: 967060328
Site type
Fortlet
Category
Military
Latitude
54.9397
Longitude
-2.8509
Overview

History & context

Milecastle 61 (Wallhead) was a milecastle on Hadrian's Wall (grid reference NY45586088).

Milecastle 61 is believed to lie close to Wallhead Farm in the civil parish of Stanwix Rural. Its exact position is uncertain, but its location may be indicated by area of high resistance found during a geophysical survey conducted in 1981.

About 400 metres to the south is a complex of cropmarks at Moss Side, first observed in 1949. It is believed that they consist principally of two superimposed Roman temporary camps.

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 61 are known as Turret 61A (grid reference NY451607) and Turret 61B (grid reference NY447606). None of the turrets between Milecastles 59 and 72 were sought or identified prior to 1961, and the exact locations of turrets 61A and 61B 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 61 (Wallhead)?

Milecastle 61 (Wallhead) was a milecastle on Hadrian's Wall (grid reference NY45586088). Milecastle 61 is believed to lie close to Wallhead Farm in the civil parish of Stanwix Rural. 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 61 (Wallhead)?

Milecastle 61 (Wallhead) 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 61 (Wallhead)?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Moss Side 1 and 2 Roman temporary camps (0.5 km), Milecastle 62 (Walby East) (1.3 km), Milecastle 60 (High Strand) (1.7 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 61 (Wallhead)?

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.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Milecastle 61 (Wallhead)

This page covers the Roman site at Milecastle 61 (Wallhead). 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.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Milecastle 61 (Wallhead) report
Or see a real report first
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 and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.

Research the area around Milecastle 61 (Wallhead)