Milecastle 3 (Ouseburn) was a
milecastle of the
RomanHadrian's Wall. No remains exist, but it was thought to have been located at the junction of the
A187 Byker Bridge and Stephen Street.
Construction
No evidence exists as to the
configuration or
type of Milecastle 3, though the curtain wall at this stage was almost certainly a
narrow configuration.[1]
Excavations and investigations
1732 -
Horsley surveyed the milecastle, recording its position.[2]
1776 - The location was visited by
Stukeley, who sketched the area for his Iter Boreale'.[3]
1789 - Brand visited the site, but noted that many of the stones had been removed from the foundations some years previously, for use in the building of an adjoining house.[4]
1848 - Collingwood Briuce reported that a small, partly illegible
altar had been found close to the presumed site of the milecastle. The altar (NMR Number: NZ 26 SE 227) was dedicated by Julius Maximus. Having searched the area, he could find no trace of Roman remains.[1]
1858 -
Henry MacLauchlan surveyed the area but reported no dependable trace of the milecastle.[5]
1928 - FG Simpson measured the distance from
Milecastle 2 to Milecastle 3 as 1,450 yards (1,330 m).[5]
1979 - Exploratory trenches were sunk during the building of the
Metro, revealing no trace of the milecastle.[5]
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 3 are known as Turret 3A and Turret 3B.
Turret 3A
Nothing is known of Turret 3A and it was presumed to be located around 54°58′30″N1°35′46″W / 54.974892°N 1.596128°W / 54.974892; -1.596128 (Turret 3A).[6] In September 2022 Pre-Construct Archaeology announced that they had located the turret at approximately 54°58′28″N1°35′44.5″W / 54.97444°N 1.595694°W / 54.97444; -1.595694, during surveys in advance of construction of student accommodation. Excavations found the walls of the turret in addition to a ditch and six obstacle pits. Turret 3A became the most easterly known turret on the wall. The turret was recorded as having a length of around 12 metres (39 ft) and foundations of 2.36–2.46 metres (7 ft 9 in – 8 ft 1 in) in width. The interior of the turret is thought to have been truncated by late 19th or early 20th century construction work. A Roman tegula tile was recovered, suggesting that the turret may have had a tiled roof.[7]
^
abBreeze, David J (1934), Handbook to the Roman Wall (14th Revised edition - Nov 2006), Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne,
ISBN0-901082-65-1
^Horsley, John (1732), Britannia Romana or the Roman Antiquities of Britain, Frank Graham (published 1974),
ISBN0-85983-090-X
^Stukeley, William (1776). Itinerarium Curiosum: or, An account of the antiquities, and remarkable curiosities in nature or art, observed in travels through Great Britain (2nd ed.). London: Baker & Leigh.
ISBN0-576-19312-7.
^Brand, John (1 January 1789). The History and Antiquities of Newcastle upon Tyne. Vol. 1 (1st ed.). B White & Son. p. 138.
^
abc"Milecastle 3". Pastscape. English Heritage. Archived from
the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2010.
^"Turret 3A". Pastscape. English Heritage. Archived from
the original on 25 February 2012. Retrieved 24 May 2010.