Turret 32A was one of the standard observation and signalling towers built into the curtain of Hadrian's Wall, positioned between Milecastles 32 (Carraw) and 33 (Shield-on-the-Wall) in the central sector east of Housesteads. Like its neighbours, it was constructed in the 120s AD as part of Hadrian's frontier scheme and would have been occupied, with interruptions, into the later 2nd century, possibly seeing reduced use thereafter as the turret system was progressively abandoned along parts of the Wall.
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
As an intermediate post between milecastles, it served the routine functions of surveillance, signalling, and shelter for a small detachment drawn from the garrison of the nearest fort (probably Carrawburgh/Brocolitia, less than 2 km to the east). It has no recorded distinction beyond its place in the regular pattern of Wall installations.
Very little has been published specifically on Turret 32A; its position is known from the standard spacing of the Wall curtain and from antiquarian and 20th-century survey rather than from any substantial modern excavation, and no significant finds assemblage is associated with it. The structure presumably followed the normal pattern — a roughly 4–5 m square stone tower bonded into (or, in this central sector, sometimes butted against) the Wall — but its internal arrangements and occupation history at this specific site are not well
Turret 32A was one of the standard observation and signalling towers built into the curtain of Hadrian's Wall, positioned between Milecastles 32 (Carraw) and 33 (Shield-on-the-Wall) in the central sector east of Housesteads. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a fort site from the Roman period in Britain.
Turret 32A (Carraw West) is classified as a Roman fort — 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 Milecastle 32 (Carraw) (0.5 km), Brown Moor Roman temporary camp (0.5 km), Turret 32B (Brown Moor) (0.6 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 Turret 32A (Carraw West)