Stanegate

The Stanegate was an important Limesstraße and border zone in present-day England. Her name means " stone road " and has been known since the Middle Ages. It ran in an east-west direction, roughly from Carlisle to Corbridge and remained always near Hadrian's Wall. The road crossed the river valleys of the Tyne, Irthing and Eden, the heartland of the allied with Rome brigands. It marked the transition from the 1st to the 2nd century AD, the northern frontier in Britain. The most famous Roman archaeological site of this region is fort Vindolanda.

Development

The street was laid out in the course of Gnaeus Julius Agricola campaigns of and secured by wood and earth forts. It served as a base and supply route for its further conquests in Caledonia. The first was founded by Agricola forts on Stanegate were still a day's march apart. This was not quite enough in the early days of the occupation of the Britannic North. The forts of Vindolanda ( Chester Holm ) and Nether Denton seem to have been built between the 70s and 80s of the first century, the same time as Corstopidum / Coria ( Corbridge ) and Luguvalium ( Carlisle ). In Tacitus ' account of the deeds of his father Agricola in Britain states:

" The fourth summer he used [ Agricola ] sure to keep what he had hurried through, and had the bravery of the armies and the glory of the Roman name allows it, it would in Britain itself is a limit to our conquests can be found. The Clota ( Firth of Clyde ) and Bodotria ( Firth of Forth ), arms of the sea that pass through the tide of opposing seas an immense distance [ inland ], are separated only by a narrow strip of land. Since this then secured with forts and to all nearer to the bays [ country] was occupied, the enemies were equally displaced to another island. "

When Domitian withdrew 87 AD Legio II Augusta and most auxiliary units for its Dakerkrieg from the Scottish Lowlands, the northern border was set at the line Tyne - Solway Firth, along the dragged the Stanegatestraße. All forts of the Lowlands, such as the legion camp Inchtuthil were gradually abandoned and evidently planned destroyed by their own crews. The proven fire layers in these fixtures are all from this period. Only the great castles of Newstead and Ardoch should be filled later in the time of Antoninus Pius again.

The retreat was in AD 105 years. completed. In the same year the emperor Trajan moved additional auxiliary troop contingents to the Stanegatestraße. Between Chester Holm, Carlisle and Corbridge new forts in Brampton, Old Church, Nether Denton, Carvoran (?), Castlesteads (?) And Newbrough were created. It thus shortened the distance between the individual bearings on about half a day's march. Also newly founded fortlets how the High Crosby, Castle Hill, Boothby, Throp and Haltwhistle Burn and advanced guard towers at Pike Hill and Wall Town Crags ( the former was later than WT 45a incorporated into Hadrian's Wall ), on both banks of Irthing, compacted the fortress line even further. In its western section of the Stanegate was protected by the military camp in Pittsburgh and Kirkbride. You against the settlement area of ​​Rome was hostile Selgovii. In order to prevent their constant raids on the province, possibly a wall of earth was already created to Trajan, who was later replaced by the Hadrian's Wall.

While the country lying north of the border was seen as largely uninhabited; nevertheless a massive military protection force was indispensable here. At the same time, the Roman army continued definitively established in this region. According to the 1973-1993 Robin Birley discovered in Vindolanda wooden tablets ( " Vindolanda Tablets" ), which allowed a glimpse into the daily camp life at Stanegate, it is notable that at this time two-thirds of the soldiers ( and five of six centurions ) usually not present in the fort were (Table Vind.154 ). Apparently, the military threat to the northern frontier at that time was not particularly high. After completion of Hadrian's rampart in the middle of the 2nd century the Stanegatelinie lost her border security function.

Road structure

The Stanegate differed from other Roman roads to the effect that the latter were created relatively straightforward, this was the Stanegate not possible, since he also partially performs difficult and hilly terrain. Their course took first on the topography of the land hardly consideration, only they fit later changes the terrain a little better at. The studied section at Corbridge is 6.7 m wide. On both side were covered with stone slabs outflow channels. The base here consisted of a 150 mm thick layer of larger stones, the actual road surface of a 250 mm thick layer of gravel.

Course

The Stanegate begins east of Corstopidum / Coria and intersects here with the Dere Street, the ancient main road to Scotland. Perhaps the Stanegate of Corstopidum led further east to Newcastle, but so far no archaeological evidence for this could be taught. To the west it crosses the Cor Burn, then follows the north bank of the Tyne, until it reached the present town of Wall, County of Northumberland. About the North Tyne probably existed a bridge, over which one got to fortlet Newbrough, the first Roman military base after Corstopidum.

From Newbrough the Stanegate turns to the west, parallel follows the southern section of the Tyne and leads directly through the most famous castle in this region, Vindolanda, through. Then they crossed a modern military road and passes on its south side, the small fort of Haltwhistle Burn. Here the route is again on the Tyne and leads past the castle Magni, now about 20 miles from Corstopidum away. At this point the road becomes the Maiden Way, the ( Whitley Castle) approach leads from the south, crossed.

From Magni, the road - always along the Irthing - further to the southeast, reaching the small fort of Throp and then the fort Nether Denton, located 24 ½ miles from Corstopidum. From Nether Denton the road continue to follow the river bank, passing through the small castle Castle Hill / Boothby and achieved one miles later the fort Brampton / Old Church, which is about 30 ½ miles away from Corstopidum.

In Brampton, the road crosses the Irthing and is continued until Irthington and High Crosby. On a not exactly known point they crossed the Eden and eventually reaches its final destination, the castle of Luguvalium, 38 miles from Corstopidum away. It is believed that the road a little further ran west until in the 4 ½ miles away Kirkbride on the coast of the Solway Firth, where probably also was still a Roman military camp.

Castles

The following forts are known at Stanegate:

* KK = fortlet