#Alongthewallin80days - Day 60
Milecastle 31 & 30
Milecastle 31 (Carrawburgh) was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. Its remains exist as a turf covered platform beside (and partially covered by) the B6318 Military Road, just to the east of Carrawburgh fort.
Milecastle 31 has been excavated and investigated several times over the years, in the early 19th Century Lingard reports the discovery of bones between the milecastle and Carrawburgh fort and then in 1934 an excavation sought out the milecastle but only found a single coin of Victorinus. In 1964 excavations are undertaken in advance of the construction of the car park. The west wall of the milecastle is located.
1965 saw an English Heritage Field Investigation. It was noted that the north wall of the Milecastle lies beneath the modern road, and that the majority survives as a turf-covered platform (0.25 metres (0.82 ft) high on the west side.
Not far from Milecastle 31 is milecastle 30, also known as Limestone Corner. Its remains exist as an outward-facing scarp with a maximum height of 0.8 metres (2.6 ft).Masonry from the east wall (both faces) remains in situ. The remaining stretch is 3.1 metres in length by 2.25 metres thick, and survives to a height of 0.6 metres. It is located at the western part of Limestone Corner, just off the B6318 Military Road.
The milecastle was first excavated in 1927 by FG Simpson. The north-south length is identified at this time, and the presence of the Military Way noted. Then in 1951 the wing walls (and curtain beyond the wing walls) is excavated. It is discovered that the curtain is Narrow gauge on Broad gauge foundations. In 1965 English Heritage held a Field Investigation. It was noted that the remains consisted of a mutilated earth platform, with a 3.0 metres (9.8 ft) fragment of the east wall exposed near the north-east corner. It was also noted that the Military Way was well defined by the presence of an agger and ground swelling. Finally in
1989 English Heritage held another Field Investigation, as part of the Hadrian's Wall Project, and all Previous observations were reconfirmed.
Both milecastles can be easily located using our Hadrians Wall App.
