Turret 78B was one of the regularly-spaced stone observation turrets built into the curtain of Hadrian's Wall, positioned between Milecastle 78 (Kirkland) and Milecastle 79 (Solway House) in the western sector of the Wall near the Solway Firth. Like its paired turret 78A, it would have been constructed in the 120s AD under Hadrian and occupied, with interruptions, into the later 2nd or 3rd century. In this westernmost stretch the Wall was originally built in turf rather than stone, with the turrets nonetheless constructed in stone from the outset.
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
The turret formed part of the close-spaced surveillance system overlooking the low-lying southern shore of the Solway, where the frontier continued as a coastal cordon of milefortlets and towers extending down the Cumbrian coast beyond the Wall's terminus at Bowness. Its role was observational and signalling rather than defensive, linking the manned milecastles in a continuous line of sight along this flat, wide approach.
Very little is recorded for Turret 78B specifically; the exact site has not been securely identified on the ground, and unlike many turrets further east (such as those at Banks East or Pike Hill) it has not been the subject of significant published excavation. Its existence is inferred primarily from the regular Wall-mile spacing scheme rather than from upstanding remains.
Turret 78B was one of the regularly-spaced stone observation turrets built into the curtain of Hadrian's Wall, positioned between Milecastle 78 (Kirkland) and Milecastle 79 (Solway House) in the western sector of the Wall near the Solway Firth. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a watch tower site from the Roman period in Britain.
Turret 78B 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 79 (Solway House) (0.5 km), Turret 78A (Kirkland) (0.6 km), Turret 79A (0.9 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.
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