Wall Mile 32

Map showing the Scheduled Monument area (Historic England data).

The monument includes the section of Hadrian's Wall, vallum and their associated features between the field boundary west of Coventina's Well in the east and the field boundary at Brown Dikes in the west. This section occupies a gentle east facing slope with wide views to the north and south.

Hadrian's Wall survives as a buried feature throughout this section. East of Carraw Farm it is overlain by the modern field wall which defines the south side of the B6318 road. Here its line is visible as a disturbed grassy bank, 0.4m high, at the base of the modern wall. West of Carraw Farm its line is visible as a well defined robber trench, about 2m wide, beyond which it reappears as a slight scarp below the field wall which defines the south side of the road. West of here the Wall is overlain by the modern B6318 road.

At Carraw Farm the survival of the remains of the Wall and wall ditch have not been confirmed. To the east and west of Carraw Farm the wall ditch is partly encroached on by the B6318 road. However, it is visible to an average depth of 1.5m. The wall ditch is best preserved at the west end of this section where it reaches a depth of 3m. The upcast from the ditch, known as the glacis, survives intermittently as a mound to the north of the ditch. It is also best preserved at the west end of this section where it averages 1.4m in height. 

Milecastle 32 survives as a turf covered platform with robber trenches, 0.3m deep, defining the line of its east and west walls. The south wall is defined by a terrace, while the north wall is overlain by the field wall on the south side of the B6318 road. Limited excavation during 1971 recovered pottery which suggested occupation of the milecastle continued into the fourth century AD.

The precise location of turret 32a has not yet been confirmed. However, on the basis of the usual spacing, it is expected to be situated about 500m west of milecastle 32 under the surface of the B6318 road.

The course of the Roman road known as the Military Way, which ran along the corridor linking turrets, milecastles and forts is not yet known with certainty in this section. However, there is a slight rise alongside the field wall on the south side of the wooded area to the south of Carraw Farm which could be the remains of the `agger', or raised spine, of the road. The antiquarian Horsley, writing in the 1730s, stated that the Military Way was carried on the north mound of the vallum in this general area.

The vallum is visible intermittently as an upstanding earthwork throughout this section. It is least well preserved at the east end where only the ditch is visible, having an average depth of 2m. West of milecastle 32 the earthworks are better preserved. The north mound is in good condition, reaching 1.5m in height, while the south mound at best reaches 0.9m. Here the ditch is waterlogged and silted, though it averages a depth of 1m.

Map showing the Scheduled Monument area (Historic England data).

This section occupies a predominantly level stretch of ground, except at the west end where the Wall occupies the escarpment of the Whin Sill. The upstanding remains of Hadrian's Wall, the milecastle and the turrets from the drain west of turret 33a to the field boundary east of turret 34a are Listed Grade I. Hadrian's Wall survives as a series of upstanding and buried features throughout this section. It survives as a buried feature beneath the B6318 road at the east end of this section.

The precise location of turret 32b has not yet been confirmed. However, on the basis of the usual spacing, it is expected to lie about 450m east of milecastle 33.

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, milecastes and forts, was carried on the north mound of the vallum in the east half of this section. Its buried remains survive below grassland east of milecastle 33, until the B6318 road coincides with the north mound of the vallum where it lies below the modern road surface. South of turret 33b the Military Way leaves the north mound of the vallum and follows a course parallel to that of the Wall. Here it survives as a distinct linear mound up to 6m wide and up to 0.3m high.

The vallum survives well as an upstanding earthwork visible on the ground throughout this section. It runs roughly parallel with the line of the Wall until south of turret 33b where it turns to the south west and follows the tail of the escarpment. In the east half of this section the vallum ditch averages 3.5m in depth, while the north and south mounds average 1.5m in height. A number of crossings are still extant here at 42m intervals. West of milecastle 33 the ditch averages 2m in depth and the north and south mounds 1.2m in height. West of turret 33b the ditch is partly rock cut and reaches a maximum depth of 2.5m.