Milecastle 53 - Izeria

Milecastle 53 (Banks Burn) was a milecastle on Hadrian's Wall (grid reference NY56486460).

1. Description

Milecastle 53 is west of the hamlet of Banks, Cumbria and northeast of Lanercost Priory. It lies 1520 metres west of Milecastle 52 and 1436 metres east of Milecastle 54. There is no trace of the milecastle visible. The tall section of Hadrian's Wall at Hare Hill (standing to a height of about 2.7 metres) is just 80 metres west of Milecastle 53 (grid reference NY56406462).

1. Excavations

Milecastle 53 was excavated in 1932. It measured 21.9 metres east to west by 23.3 metres north to south. It had Type III gateways. The excavation found that most of the milecastle had been robbed of masonry and the original floor had been removed so that no internal buildings remained. Some remnants of the earlier Turf Wall milecastle remained in the northeast corner and south section.

1. Associated turrets

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 53 are known as Turret 53A and Turret 53B.

1. = Turret 53A =

Turret 53A (Hare Hill) (grid reference NY56126461) survives as a slight earthwork platform. The turret was found in 1854 or 1855, and excavated in 1932. The interior was found to be full of ashes.

1. = Turret 53B =

Turret 53B (Craggle Hill) (grid reference NY55536453) also survives as a slight earthwork platform. It was excavated in 1932. The turret was the most easterly structure in Hadrian's Wall to use red sandstone.

1. References

Nearby Places View Menu

Banks, Cumbria

Banks is a village in Cumbria, England, astride the course of Hadrian's Wall, 3 mile (5 km) NE of the market town of Brampton. The historic Lanercost Priory is just a mile (1.5 km) to the SW. Banks East Turret is a relatively well-preserved turret with adjoining stretches of Hadrian's Wall.

Historic Site Landmark

Burtholme

Burtholme refers to any of a civil parish in Cumbria, England, a hamlet within that parish or a family name originally linked to the place. It also appears in Burtholme Beck, which marks a significant point on Hadrian's Wall.

Landmark Neighbourhood

Pike Hill Signal Tower

Pike Hill Signal Tower was one of a number of signal stations that were built on high ground overlooking the line of the Roman Stanegate road in northern Britannia during the early 2nd century. It later became incorporated into Hadrian's Wall. Its remains, a 2-metre (6 ft 7 in) long fragment of the south-east wall, lie south of a modern road cutting and field wall, located in the parish of Waterhead in Cumberland, United Kingdom. The tower is located between Turret 51B and Turret 52A with the fort of Banna located to the east.

Historic Site Landmark

Lanercost Priory

Lanercost Priory was founded by Robert de Vaux between 1165 and 1174, the most likely date being 1169, to house Augustinian canons. The priory is situated in the village of Lanercost, Cumbria, England, within sight of Naworth Castle, with which it had close connections. The Lanercost Chronicle, a thirteenth-century history of England and the Wars of Scottish Independence, was compiled by the monks of the priory. It is now open to the public and in the guardianship of English Heritage.

Church Historic Site