Turret 46A (Beck Burn) is one of the regularly-spaced stone turrets built into Hadrian's Wall in the early 2nd century AD, located between Milecastle 46 (Carvoran) and Milecastle 47 (Chapel House) in the central sector west of the Tipalt Burn. Like other Wall turrets, it functioned as a two-storey observation and signalling post, garrisoned by a small detachment (probably 4–8 men) drawn from the auxiliary unit at the nearest fort, in this case likely Carvoran (Magnis) or Great Chesters (Aesica). It was probably active from c. AD 122 through the later 2nd century, with possible reoccupation phases into the 3rd century.
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
The turret formed part of the integrated surveillance system of the Wall in a strategically important sector overlooking the approaches from the Tipalt valley, complementing the chain of milecastles and forts that controlled north–south movement across the frontier. It is not individually notable beyond its place in this system.
Turret 46A has seen only limited investigation compared with better-known turrets such as 48A (Willowford) or 26B (Brunton), and its remains are not currently exposed; the site is known principally from the regular spacing of Wall turrets and from antiquarian and survey records rather than from substantial modern excavation. No significant published finds assemblage is associated with it, and detailed structural and occupational evidence for this
Turret 46A (Beck Burn) is one of the regularly-spaced stone turrets built into Hadrian's Wall in the early 2nd century AD, located between Milecastle 46 (Carvoran) and Milecastle 47 (Chapel House) in the central sector west of the Tipalt Burn. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a watch tower site from the Roman period in Britain.
Turret 46A is classified as a Roman watch tower — 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 46 (Carvoran) (0.5 km), Turret 46B (Wallend) (0.5 km), Magnis (0.7 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.
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