Roman Forts- Cawfields
A long walk along some of the best preserved and quietest sections of Hadrian’s Wall
The Emperor Hadrian gave orders for the Wall to be built
in AD122, probably to act as a barrier that allowed Roman soldiers to control
movements of people coming into or leaving Roman Britain. It is 73 miles
(117km) or 80 Roman Miles long and took about 6 years to build. Milecastles:
These were built very Roman mile along the Wall, with one of the best at Milecastle 42, Cawfields. Vallum: This runs parallel to the Wall and is
a flat-bottomed ditch (in some places a double ditch) with a mound either side. Originally it could only be crossed
at a Roman Fort.
Military Road (B6318): Built following the Jacobite
rebellion of 1745 when the poor condition of the road between Newcastle and
Carlisle prevented General George Wade moving his troops to stop Bonnie Prince
Charlie’s march south from Scotland. A new road was built after the uprising
was suppressed, and as been known since then as the Military Road or Wade’s
Road.
Cawfields Quarry: More recent signs of man’s influence on
the landscape can be seen in the former
Whinstone (dolerite) quarry at Cawfields car park, now a picnic
area and haven for wildlife.
Hike
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