Wall Mile 18

Hadrian's Wall stretches from the east to west coast of England and was an important frontier of the Roman Empire. Building of the wall began in AD 122 and took six years to complete it’s 84 mile (80 Roman mile) length. Soldiers were garrisoned along the line of the wall in large forts, smaller milecastles, and intervening turrets. The Vallum, a large ditch with mounds on either side, ran along the south side of the wall, protecting the rear of the frontier. Hadrian's Wall was designated as a World Heritage Site in 1987.

Wall Mile 18:

• Milecastle 18 (East Wallhouses)
• Turret 18A (Wallhouses East)
• Turret 18B (Wallhouses West)

Scheduled Monument (#1017534): Hadrian's Wall and vallum between the B6321 and Sunnybrae at Halton Shields, in wall miles 18 and 19

Hadrian's Wall, vallum and their associated features between the B6321 and Sunnybrae at Halton Shields, survive as a series of buried and upstanding remains. Significant information on the function of the remains and the development of the frontier system over time will be preserved. This section of the corridor occupies an east facing slope for most of its length with views to the north and east, but more restricted outlooks to the south and west.

The Wall survives as a buried feature below the surface of the B6318 road. The wall ditch survives as an extant earthwork to the north of the road throughout this section except where it is overlain by access crossings. The average depth of the ditch is about 1.5m; however it reaches a maximum depth of 3m in places. For most of its length the ditch has a width of 12m. An open drain runs along the base of the ditch eastwards from East Wallhouses for 500m.

Milecastle 19 is located 150m east of Matfen Piers on an east facing slope. It survives as a turf covered platform 0.15m high and measuring 27.8m east-west by 17m north-south. Excavation of the milecastle took place in 1931 and uncovered an altar dedicated to `..the Mothers..'. 

Turret 19a is located 270m west of Matfen Piers below the B6318 road at the crest of an east facing slope. There are no upstanding remains apart from a 5m stretch of rough walling, 0.8m high contained within a hedge. Turret 19a was excavated in 1932 when it was found to be well preserved with its door located in its south west corner. The excavation also revealed that it had been dismantled early in the third century AD.

Turret 19b survives as a buried feature located 170m east of the minor road which links Clarewood with the B6318. An excavation in 1932 produced many finds including a small altar. Unusually, the turret was bonded mainly with clay rather than mortar. The door was again located in the south west corner. This turret was found to have been abandoned at the turn of the second century AD.

The course of the Roman road known as the Military Way, which ran along the corridor between the Wall and the vallum linking the turrets, milecastles and forts, is not yet confirmed in this section of the corridor. 

The vallum runs straight throughout this section on the same alignment as its neighbouring sections. It survives as an upstanding earthwork in varying states of preservation throughout the length of this section. The north and south mounds reach a maximum height of 0.8m while the ditch has a maximum depth of 0.6m.