Historic environment and heritage management projects, resources, commentary and analysis by Profs Ian Baxter (Heriot-Watt University) & David Gill (UEA)
The Roman fort of Carrawburgh (Brocikitia) on Hadrian’s Wall has been given to the nation by its present owner (“Hadrian’s Wall Roman fort ‘gifted to the nation’“, BBC News 9 January 2020). It lies between the forts of Chesters and Housesteads.
The fort was garrisoned by a number of units including the First Cohort of the Aquitanians.
The Mithraeum and Coventina’s Well lie to the west of the fort.
The main stables are located on the east side of the outer ward of the castle.
One of the reminders of the difficulty in constructing Hadrian’s Wall can be seen at Limestone Corner (MC30), to the east of Carrawburgh, where the ditch to the north of the wall was left unfinished. It is estimated that one of the single blocks removed from the ditch originally weighed 13 tons.
A free-standing Ministry sign has been used to stop access to Mount Grace Priory round the front of the building.
Yarmouth Castle on the Isle of Wight retains some of its original Ministry signs including this information board close to the entrance. The blank section at the bottom would have indicated (using similar signs), ‘This monument is in the care of the Ministry of Public Buildings and Works [or Ministry of Works] / It is an offence to injure or deface it’.
The entrance to the car-park at Pickering Castle has a blended Ministry-English Heritage sign indicating when the site is closed to the public.
The postern gate is located in the south-east corner of Pevensey Castle. It was constructed adjacent to the Roman wall, and it opened onto the base of one of the Roman bastions. The sign is mounted on the floor of the gate, as in the entrance to the Roman fort.
