Brunton Turret, Hadrian's Wall

Turret 26B

Turret 26B (Brunton) is located just to the west of Brunton House, between it and the A6079. It is preserved with upstanding remains up to 2.8 metres (9.2 ft) high, and forms part of a 69 metres (75 yd) extant section of Hadrian's Wall. Within the turret is a free-standing altar. The turret was first excavated by John Clayton during 1873 and later by T. Hepple in 1930. It has since been consolidated.

The turret measures 3.88 metres (12.7 ft) by 3.5 metres (11 ft)  internally, and is recessed about 1.22 metres (4.0 ft) into the wall. It has a doorway nearly 1.22 metres (4.0 ft) wide. The side walls of the turret are 0.84 metres (2.8 ft) thick. Hadrian's Wall forms the north wall of the turret, which was standing eleven courses high in 1947. Its south wall is nearly 1.22 metres (4.0 ft) high. On the east side of the turret the broad wall wing is joined by a narrow section of wall, indicating that the turrets were built first and the Wall was then built up to them. Near to the turret a centurial stone was found in situ with the inscription COH IX > PAV.APRI ('The century of Paulus Aper of the ninth cohort').

Location on  Ordnance Survey 1:25 000 map: 55.023025°N 2.124308°W

Public Access

The sites of Milecastle 26 and Turret 26A are accessible via the Hadrian's Wall National Trail. Turret 26B is accessible from the east side of the A6079, just south of its junction with the B6318 Military Road.