Stanegate
Encyclopedia
The Stanegate, or "stone road" (Old English), was an important Roman road
built in what is now northern England. It linked two forts that guarded important river crossings; Corstopitum (Corbridge
) in the east, situated on Dere Street
, and Luguvalium
(Carlisle) in the west. The Stanegate ran through the natural gap formed by the valleys of the Tyne
and Irthing
.
The Stanegate differed from most other Roman roads in that it often followed the easiest gradients, and so tended to weave around, whereas typical Roman roads follow a straight path, even if this sometimes involves having punishing gradients to climb.
. It is also thought that it was built as a strategic road when the northern frontier was on the line of the Forth
and Clyde, and only later became part of the frontier when the Romans withdrew from Scotland. An indication of this is that it was provided with forts at one-day marching intervals (14 Roman miles or modern 13 miles (20.9 km)), sufficient for a strategic non-frontier road. The forts at Vindolanda
(Chesterholm) and Nether Denton
have been shown to date from about the same time as Corstopitum and Luguvalium, in the 70s AD and 80s AD. When the Romans decided to withdraw from Scotland, the line of the Stanegate became the new frontier and it became necessary to provide forts at half-day marching intervals. These additional forts were Newbrough, Magnis (Carvoran) and Brampton Old Church
. It has been suggested that a series of smaller forts were built in between the ‘half-day-march’ forts. Haltwhistle Burn and Throp might be such forts, but there is insufficient evidence to confirm a series of such fortlets. The retreat from Scotland took place in about 105 AD, and so the strengthening of the Stanegate defences would date from about that time.
Where it left the base of Corstopitum, the Stanegate was 22 feet (6.7 m) wide with covered stone gutters and a foundation of 6 inches (152.4 mm) cobbles with 10 inches (254 mm) of gravel on top.
headed towards Scotland. West of Corsopitum, the Stanegate crossed the Cor Burn, and then followed the north bank of the Tyne until it reached the North Tyne near the village of Wall
. A Roman bridge must have taken the road across the North Tyne, from where it headed west past the present village of Fourstones
to Newbrough, where the first fort is situated, 7+1/2 mi from Corbridge, and 6 miles (9.7 km) from Vindolanda. It is a small fort occupying less than an acre and is in the graveyard of Newbrough church.
From Newbrough, the Stanegate proceeds west, parallel to the South Tyne until it meets the next major fort, at Vindolanda (Chesterholm). From Vindolanda the Stanegate crosses the route of the present-day Military Road and passes just south of the minor fort of Haltwhistle Burn
. From Haltwhistle Burn, the Stanegate continues west away from the course of the South Tyne and passes the major fort of Magnis (Carvoran), 6+1/2 mi from Vindolanda and 20 miles (32.2 km) from Corstopitum. At this point, the road is joined by the Maiden Way coming from Whitley Castle to the south.
From Magnis, the road turns towards the southeast to follow the course of the River Irthing
, passing the minor fort of Throp, and arriving at the major fort of Nether Denton, 4+1/2 mi from Magnis and 24+1/2 mi from Corstopitum. The fort occupies an area of about 3 acres (12,140.6 m²).
From Nether Denton, the road continues to follow the River Irthing and heads towards present-day Brampton
. It passes the minor fort of Castle Hill Boothby and then, 1 miles (1.6 km) east of Brampton, reaches the next major fort, that of Brampton Old Church, 6 miles (9.7 km) from Nether Denton and 30+1/2 mi from Corstopitum. The fort is so called because half of it is buried under Old St. Martin’s church and its graveyard.
From Brampton Old Church, the road crosses the River Irthing and continues east through Irthington
and High Crosby. It crosses the River Eden
at some point and eventually reaches the fort of Luguvalium (Carlisle), 7+1/2 mi from Brampton Old Church and 38 miles (61.2 km) from Corstopitum. It has been suggested that the road may have carried on west for a further 4+1/2 mi to Kirkbride
on the Solway Firth
. A large camp of 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) was found there but the evidence is insufficient.
It has also been suggested that the Stanegate may have run eastwards from Corstopitum towards present-day Newcastle, but there is no evidence to support this.
in the wake of the Jacobite rising
of 1746.
Roman road
The Roman roads were a vital part of the development of the Roman state, from about 500 BC through the expansion during the Roman Republic and the Roman Empire. Roman roads enabled the Romans to move armies and trade goods and to communicate. The Roman road system spanned more than 400,000 km...
built in what is now northern England. It linked two forts that guarded important river crossings; Corstopitum (Corbridge
Corbridge
Corbridge is a village in Northumberland, England, situated west of Newcastle and east of Hexham. Villages in the vicinity include Halton, Acomb, Aydon and Sandhoe.-Roman fort and town:...
) in the east, situated on Dere Street
Dere Street
Dere Street or Deere Street, was a Roman road between Eboracum and Veluniate, in what is now Scotland. It still exists in the form of the route of many major roads, including the A1 and A68 just north of Corbridge.Its name corresponds with the post Roman Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Deira, through...
, and Luguvalium
Luguvalium
Luguvalium was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. Today it is known as Carlisle, located in the English county of Cumbria .-Pre-Roman:...
(Carlisle) in the west. The Stanegate ran through the natural gap formed by the valleys of the Tyne
River Tyne
The River Tyne is a river in North East England in Great Britain. It is formed by the confluence of two rivers: the North Tyne and the South Tyne. These two rivers converge at Warden Rock near Hexham in Northumberland at a place dubbed 'The Meeting of the Waters'.The North Tyne rises on the...
and Irthing
River Irthing
The River Irthing is a river in Cumbria, England and a major tributary of the River Eden.Rising in the hills around Paddaburn Moor in Border Forest Park, for the first 15 miles of its journey south it defines the border between Northumberland and Cumbria. After passing Butterburn Flow raised bog,...
.
The Stanegate differed from most other Roman roads in that it often followed the easiest gradients, and so tended to weave around, whereas typical Roman roads follow a straight path, even if this sometimes involves having punishing gradients to climb.
History
It is believed that the Stanegate was probably built under the governorship of AgricolaGnaeus Julius Agricola
Gnaeus Julius Agricola was a Roman general responsible for much of the Roman conquest of Britain. His biography, the De vita et moribus Iulii Agricolae, was the first published work of his son-in-law, the historian Tacitus, and is the source for most of what is known about him.Born to a noted...
. It is also thought that it was built as a strategic road when the northern frontier was on the line of the Forth
Forth
Forth is a structured, imperative, reflective, concatenative, extensible, stack-based computer programming language and programming environment...
and Clyde, and only later became part of the frontier when the Romans withdrew from Scotland. An indication of this is that it was provided with forts at one-day marching intervals (14 Roman miles or modern 13 miles (20.9 km)), sufficient for a strategic non-frontier road. The forts at Vindolanda
Vindolanda
Vindolanda was a Roman auxiliary fort just south of Hadrian's Wall in northern England. Located near the modern village of Bardon Mill, it guarded the Stanegate, the Roman road from the River Tyne to the Solway Firth...
(Chesterholm) and Nether Denton
Nether Denton
Nether Denton is a scattered settlement and civil parish in rural Cumbria, situated about north-east of Carlisle, by the A69 road.St. Cuthbert's Church at Nether Denton is built at the site of a Roman fort, around south of Hadrian's Wall on the Stanegate road. The present building dates from...
have been shown to date from about the same time as Corstopitum and Luguvalium, in the 70s AD and 80s AD. When the Romans decided to withdraw from Scotland, the line of the Stanegate became the new frontier and it became necessary to provide forts at half-day marching intervals. These additional forts were Newbrough, Magnis (Carvoran) and Brampton Old Church
Brampton Old Church
Brampton Old Church stands about to the west of the town of Brampton, Cumbria, England. It was originally the parish church of Brampton but is now redundant. The church has been designated by English Heritage as a Grade II* listed building.-History:...
. It has been suggested that a series of smaller forts were built in between the ‘half-day-march’ forts. Haltwhistle Burn and Throp might be such forts, but there is insufficient evidence to confirm a series of such fortlets. The retreat from Scotland took place in about 105 AD, and so the strengthening of the Stanegate defences would date from about that time.
Structure
Route
The Stanegate began in the east at Corstopitum, where the important road, Dere StreetDere Street
Dere Street or Deere Street, was a Roman road between Eboracum and Veluniate, in what is now Scotland. It still exists in the form of the route of many major roads, including the A1 and A68 just north of Corbridge.Its name corresponds with the post Roman Anglo-Saxon kingdom of Deira, through...
headed towards Scotland. West of Corsopitum, the Stanegate crossed the Cor Burn, and then followed the north bank of the Tyne until it reached the North Tyne near the village of Wall
Wall, Northumberland
Wall is a village in Northumberland, England. It is situated to the north of Hexham close by the River North Tyne and Hadrian's Wall. The Battle of Heavenfield was fought nearby.- Governance : is in the parliamentary constituency of Hexham....
. A Roman bridge must have taken the road across the North Tyne, from where it headed west past the present village of Fourstones
Fourstones
Fourstones is a village in Northumberland, England. The village lies on the north bank of the River South Tyne about west of Hexham.- Landmarks :...
to Newbrough, where the first fort is situated, 7+1/2 mi from Corbridge, and 6 miles (9.7 km) from Vindolanda. It is a small fort occupying less than an acre and is in the graveyard of Newbrough church.
From Newbrough, the Stanegate proceeds west, parallel to the South Tyne until it meets the next major fort, at Vindolanda (Chesterholm). From Vindolanda the Stanegate crosses the route of the present-day Military Road and passes just south of the minor fort of Haltwhistle Burn
Haltwhistle Burn
The Haltwhistle Burn is a river which lies to the east of the Northumbrian town of Haltwhistle. Rising in the peaty uplands below the ridge of the Whin Sill, the burn passes through the Roman Military Zone south of Hadrian's Wall and through a dramatic sandstone gorge before descending between...
. From Haltwhistle Burn, the Stanegate continues west away from the course of the South Tyne and passes the major fort of Magnis (Carvoran), 6+1/2 mi from Vindolanda and 20 miles (32.2 km) from Corstopitum. At this point, the road is joined by the Maiden Way coming from Whitley Castle to the south.
From Magnis, the road turns towards the southeast to follow the course of the River Irthing
River Irthing
The River Irthing is a river in Cumbria, England and a major tributary of the River Eden.Rising in the hills around Paddaburn Moor in Border Forest Park, for the first 15 miles of its journey south it defines the border between Northumberland and Cumbria. After passing Butterburn Flow raised bog,...
, passing the minor fort of Throp, and arriving at the major fort of Nether Denton, 4+1/2 mi from Magnis and 24+1/2 mi from Corstopitum. The fort occupies an area of about 3 acres (12,140.6 m²).
From Nether Denton, the road continues to follow the River Irthing and heads towards present-day Brampton
Brampton, Carlisle, Cumbria
Brampton is a small market town and civil parish within the City of Carlisle district of Cumbria, England about 9 miles east of Carlisle and 2 miles south of Hadrian's Wall. It is situated off the A69 road which bypasses it...
. It passes the minor fort of Castle Hill Boothby and then, 1 miles (1.6 km) east of Brampton, reaches the next major fort, that of Brampton Old Church, 6 miles (9.7 km) from Nether Denton and 30+1/2 mi from Corstopitum. The fort is so called because half of it is buried under Old St. Martin’s church and its graveyard.
From Brampton Old Church, the road crosses the River Irthing and continues east through Irthington
Irthington
Irthington is a village and civil parish within the City of Carlisle district in Cumbria, England, situated to the north-east of Carlisle Lake District Airport...
and High Crosby. It crosses the River Eden
River Eden, Cumbria
The River Eden is a river that flows through Cumbria, England on its way to the Solway Firth.-Course of river:The Eden rises in Black Fell Moss, Mallerstang, on the high ground between High Seat, Yorkshire Dales and Hugh Seat. Here it forms the boundary between the counties of Cumbria and North...
at some point and eventually reaches the fort of Luguvalium (Carlisle), 7+1/2 mi from Brampton Old Church and 38 miles (61.2 km) from Corstopitum. It has been suggested that the road may have carried on west for a further 4+1/2 mi to Kirkbride
Kirkbride, Cumbria
Kirkbride, Cumbria is a village in Cumbria in the north of England. Significant elements of ancient history are close to Kirkbride including the Kirkbride Roman fort and Hadrian's Wall. Hadrian's Wall in this western reach and the Kirkbride fort were predominantly of turf and timber construction...
on the Solway Firth
Solway Firth
The Solway Firth is a firth that forms part of the border between England and Scotland, between Cumbria and Dumfries and Galloway. It stretches from St Bees Head, just south of Whitehaven in Cumbria, to the Mull of Galloway, on the western end of Dumfries and Galloway. The Isle of Man is also very...
. A large camp of 5 acres (20,234.3 m²) was found there but the evidence is insufficient.
It has also been suggested that the Stanegate may have run eastwards from Corstopitum towards present-day Newcastle, but there is no evidence to support this.
List of forts on the Stanegate
- Corstopitum (major fort)
- Newbrough (minor fort)
- VindolandaVindolandaVindolanda was a Roman auxiliary fort just south of Hadrian's Wall in northern England. Located near the modern village of Bardon Mill, it guarded the Stanegate, the Roman road from the River Tyne to the Solway Firth...
(Chesterholm) (major fort) - Haltwhistle Burn (minor fort)
- Magnis (Carvoran) (major fort)
- Throp (minor fort)
- Nether Denton (major fort)
- Castle Hill Boothby (minor fort)
- Brampton Old Church (major fort)
- LuguvaliumLuguvaliumLuguvalium was a town in the Roman province of Britannia. Today it is known as Carlisle, located in the English county of Cumbria .-Pre-Roman:...
(major fort)
Subsequent history
Much of the Stanegate provided the foundation for the Carelgate (or Carlisle Road), a medieval road running from Corbridge market place and joining the Stanegate west of Corstopitum. The Carelgate eventually deteriorated to such an extent that it was unusable by coaches and wagons. In 1751–1752, a new Military Road was built by General George WadeGeorge Wade
Field Marshal George Wade served as a British military commander and Commander-in-Chief of the Forces.-Early career:Wade, born in Kilavally, Westmeath in Ireland, was commissioned into the Earl of Bath's Regiment in 1690 and served in Flanders in 1692, during the Nine Years War, earning a...
in the wake of the Jacobite rising
Jacobite rising
The Jacobite Risings were a series of uprisings, rebellions, and wars in Great Britain and Ireland occurring between 1688 and 1746. The uprisings were aimed at returning James VII of Scotland and II of England, and later his descendants of the House of Stuart, to the throne after he was deposed by...
of 1746.
See also
- Hadrian's WallHadrian's WallHadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.The...
- Roman BritainRoman BritainRoman Britain was the part of the island of Great Britain controlled by the Roman Empire from AD 43 until ca. AD 410.The Romans referred to the imperial province as Britannia, which eventually comprised all of the island of Great Britain south of the fluid frontier with Caledonia...
- Roman roads in BritainRoman roads in BritainRoman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the vast standing Roman army , constituted the three most impressive features of the Roman Empire. In Britain, as in other provinces, the Romans constructed a comprehensive network of paved trunk roads Roman roads, together with Roman aqueducts and the...
- History of NorthumberlandHistory of NorthumberlandNorthumberland, England's northernmost county, is a land where Roman occupiers once guarded a walled frontier, Anglian invaders fought with Celtic natives, and Norman lords built castles to suppress rebellion and defend a contested border with Scotland. The present-day county is a vestige of an...