Devil's Causeway
Encyclopedia
The Devil's Causeway is a Roman road in Northumberland
, in North East
England
. It branches off Dere Street
north of Corbridge
and can be traced through Northumberland for about 55 miles (89 km) north to Berwick-upon-Tweed
.
(A68 road
) crosses the military road.
Less than 1 miles (2 km) to the east is the Roman fort
of Onnum
, and it is probable that the Causeway was patrolled by a cavalry unit based there.
The road passes by Great Whittington
then northeast to Hartburn
where, just to the west, it crosses the Hart Burn, a tributary of the River Wansbeck
. It continues to the east of Netherwitton
where there is a much-discussed tower.
After Netherwitton the road passes to the west of Longhorsley
.
The road continues east of north until it crosses the River Coquet
east of Brinkburn Priory
where it starts to head west of north passing the western edge of Longframlington
. North of Longframlington the road touches the A697 road
then crosses it before passing west of Edlingham
. It re-crosses the A697 before passing Glanton
and reaching Powburn
.
At Powburn the road joins the A697 to cross the River Breamish
and stays with it for 2 miles (3.2 km). The road heads west of north passing Newtown before crossing the River Till
immediately before Horton
. At Horton the road continues as a C road for 7 miles (11.3 km) past Lowick
.
The road then passes through Berrington
before heading towards Tweedmouth
and the mouth of the River Tweed
.
Northumberland
Northumberland is the northernmost ceremonial county and a unitary district in North East England. For Eurostat purposes Northumberland is a NUTS 3 region and is one of three boroughs or unitary districts that comprise the "Northumberland and Tyne and Wear" NUTS 2 region...
, in North East
North East England
North East England is one of the nine official regions of England. It covers Northumberland, County Durham, Tyne and Wear, and Teesside . The only cities in the region are Durham, Newcastle upon Tyne and Sunderland...
England
England
England is a country that is part of the United Kingdom. It shares land borders with Scotland to the north and Wales to the west; the Irish Sea is to the north west, the Celtic Sea to the south west, with the North Sea to the east and the English Channel to the south separating it from continental...
. It branches off 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...
north of 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:...
and can be traced through Northumberland for about 55 miles (89 km) north to Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
.
Description
The Devil’s Causeway starts at Port Gate, now a roundabout where the Roman 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...
(A68 road
A68 road
The A68 is a major road in the United Kingdom, running from Darlington in England to the A720 in Scotland.From Darlington, the road runs north, bypassing Bishop Auckland, and running through West Auckland, Toft Hill and Tow Law, past Consett and Corbridge...
) crosses the military road.
To the north of CorbridgeCorbridgeCorbridge 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:...
at a place called Port Gate, the Roman Dere StreetDere StreetDere 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...
crossed 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...
as it continued north into RedesdaleRedesdaleRedesdale is a valley iin the western part of the county of Northumberland, in northeast England. This area contains the valley of the River Rede, a tributary of the North Tyne River. Redesdale includes the settlements of Elsdon, Otterburn, Rochester, Byrness and Carter Bar.Historically this...
on its way to CaledoniaCaledoniaCaledonia is the Latinised form and name given by the Romans to the land in today's Scotland north of their province of Britannia, beyond the frontier of their empire...
. Another Roman road known as the Devil’s Causeway, joined Dere Street at PortgatePortgateThe Portgate was a fortified gateway, constructed as part of the Roman Hadrian's Wall . It was built to control traffic along Dere Street as it passed through Hadrian's Wall...
, and can be traced north eastwards across Northumberland, to the mouth of the River TweedRiver TweedThe River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
at Berwick-Upon-TweedBerwick-upon-TweedBerwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
.
Less than 1 miles (2 km) to the east is the Roman fort
Castra
The Latin word castra, with its singular castrum, was used by the ancient Romans to mean buildings or plots of land reserved to or constructed for use as a military defensive position. The word appears in both Oscan and Umbrian as well as in Latin. It may have descended from Indo-European to Italic...
of Onnum
Hunnum
Hunnum was a Roman fort north of the modern-day village of Halton, Northumberland. The name “Onnum” means “The Rock”, and probably refers to Down Hill situated to the east of it. It was the fifth fort on Hadrian's Wall, after Segedunum , Pons Aelius , Condercum and Vindobala...
, and it is probable that the Causeway was patrolled by a cavalry unit based there.
The fort at Halton Chesters was built across the line of the wall facing north, half way between milecastles 21 and 22 about 0.5 mile (0.80467 km) east of Dere Steet. The original Hadrianic fort was rather squat in outline, almost square, measuring some 440 feet north-south by 400 feet east-west, with an area just over 4 acres (c. 134 x 122 m; 1.6 ha).
A dedicatory slab from the west gate of the fort tells us that the Sixth Legion were responsible for the initial building work, but unfortunately, does not give us the name of the original garrison. It is likely, but not proven, that the Hadrianic unit was a cohors quingenaria equitata, an auxiliary force containing a nominal five-hundred men, approximately half of which were mounted. Units of this type have been identified at many Wall forts, and would have been ideally placed here, the infantry contingent to guard the Fort and Wall, and the cavalry to patrol along Dere Street and the Devil's Causeway to the north.
The road passes by Great Whittington
Great Whittington
Great Whittington is a village in Northumberland, England.- Governance :Great Whittington is in the parliamentary constituency of Hexham.-Landmarks:The Devil's Causeway passes the village about to the west...
then northeast to Hartburn
Hartburn, Northumberland
Hartburn is a village in Northumberland, in England. It is situated about to the west of Morpeth.-Landmarks:The Devil's Causeway passes the western edge of the village, just before its crosses the River Wansbeck...
where, just to the west, it crosses the Hart Burn, a tributary of the River Wansbeck
River Wansbeck
The River Wansbeck runs through the county of Northumberland, England. It rises above Sweethope Lough on the edge of Forelaws Forest in the area known locally as The Wanneys ; runs through the town of Ashington before discharging into the North Sea at Sandy Bay near Newbiggin-by-the-Sea.The River...
. It continues to the east of Netherwitton
Netherwitton
Netherwitton is a village in Northumberland, England about west of Morpeth.A former cotton-mill now converted into residential housing, the old village school also converted into a house, an old bridge whence the pretty little church is visible, and a number of cottages and gardens comprise the...
where there is a much-discussed tower.
Devils Causeway Tower, Netherwitton, also known as, or recorded in historical documents as Highbush Wood. King writes ‘Marked on some OS maps as tower but now considered to be remains of cottage.’ SMR still records as ‘site of tower’. Long records as ‘remains of an irregular shaped tower.’ This site has been described as a Pele TowerPeel towerPeel towers are small fortified keeps or tower houses, built along the English and Scottish borders in the Scottish Marches and North of England, intended as watch towers where signal fires could be lit by the garrison to warn of approaching danger...
. The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is Questionable.
After Netherwitton the road passes to the west of Longhorsley
Longhorsley
Longhorsley is a village in Northumberland, England about northwest of Morpeth, and about south of Alnwick. The A697 road passes through the village linking it with Morpeth, Wooler and Coldstream in Scotland. There are 6 "Streets" in Longhorsley: Whitegates, Church View, Drummonds Close, West...
.
A hoard of Roman coins discovered by metal-detecting enthusiasts on a farm
near Longhorsley, Northumberland, could be evidence that entrepreneurial native
Northumbrian settlers were recycling old bronze coins and making trinkets to
sell back to soldiers in the Roman army, according to experts.
The hoard of 70 Roman coins – 61 sestercii and 9 dupondii
DupondiusThe dupondius was a brass coin used during the Roman Empire and Roman Republic valued at 2 asses ....
— dates from the reign of the Emperors Vespasian to the reign of Marcus Aurelius (AD69–180) — a period when the Antonine WallAntonine WallThe Antonine Wall is a stone and turf fortification built by the Romans across what is now the Central Belt of Scotland, between the Firth of Forth and the Firth of Clyde. Representing the northernmost frontier barrier of the Roman Empire, it spanned approximately 39 miles and was about ten feet ...
, between Glasgow and Edinburgh, and not Hadrian's Wall, marked the frontier of the Roman Empire, and for a short period,
Northumberland, which had until then been barbarian territory, became part of
the Roman Empire.
The hoard was found close to the route of The Devil's Causeway, the main
Roman road which ran north through Northumberland.
Roman expert Lindsay Allason-Jones, Director of Archaeological Museums at
Newcastle University, where the coins are shortly to go on display, says: 'What makes this find unusual is that it dates from a period when there was no Roman fort close to Longhorsley, although there were a number of native settlement sites in the area'.
'From excavations in the area, we know that the Romans did recycle metal in a
military context, and we also know that local farmers were working with bronze', says Lindsay.
'The discovery of a sprue – the metal which solidifies in the air holes of a mould – and the very worn faces of the coins in the hoard suggests for the first time that the native Northumbrians were recycling Roman coins to make artefacts, either for their own use or to sell to the Roman Army', she adds.
The road continues east of north until it crosses the River Coquet
River Coquet
The River Coquet runs through the county of Northumberland, England, discharging into the North Sea on the east coast of England at Amble. Warkworth Castle is built in a loop of the Coquet....
east of Brinkburn Priory
Brinkburn Priory
Brinkburn Priory lies on a bend of the River Coquet, some east of Rothbury, Northumberland, England.-Early history:It was founded by William Bertram, Baron of Mitford, in the reign of Henry I as an Augustinian priory...
where it starts to head west of north passing the western edge of Longframlington
Longframlington
Longframlington is a small village in Northumberland, England, located on the A697, north-west of Morpeth and south-east of Rothbury.Longframlington is a former pit village and on the site of the pit now stands Fram Park, a log cabin holiday park....
. North of Longframlington the road touches the A697 road
A697 road
The A697 is a road that can be used an alternative to the A1 for those travelling between Scotland and England via the North East.It connects Morpeth on the A1 to the A68 at Oxton, near Edinburgh...
then crosses it before passing west of Edlingham
Edlingham
Edlingham is a small village and civil parish in Northumberland in the north of England. At the 2001 census it had a population of 196. The road to Alnwick passes close by the village and the town of Rothbury is about away....
. It re-crosses the A697 before passing Glanton
Glanton
Glanton is a small rural village, in the county of Northumberland, England. Historically, Glanton was a relatively industrial village , although in recent years the level of industry has declined...
and reaching Powburn
Powburn
Powburn is a small village on the A697 in Northumberland, England about south of Wooler and northwest of Alnwick.-Landmarks:The Devil's Causeway passes through the village and continues north under the A697 road crossing the River Till...
.
By the road side a stiff half-mile eastwards from Powburn is Crawley Tower, a fine Border pele constructed largely of material from the Roman camp one corner of which it occupies. The station has been a strong one (its defensive ditch is still imposing) and probably guarded the crossing, near Hedgeley Station, of the Breamish by the Devil's Causeway.
At Powburn the road joins the A697 to cross the River Breamish
River Till
The River Till in Northumberland is the only tributary of the River Tweed which flows wholly in England. . The upper part of the Till, which rises on Comb Fell, is known as the River Breamish...
and stays with it for 2 miles (3.2 km). The road heads west of north passing Newtown before crossing the River Till
River Till
The River Till in Northumberland is the only tributary of the River Tweed which flows wholly in England. . The upper part of the Till, which rises on Comb Fell, is known as the River Breamish...
immediately before Horton
Horton, Northumberland
Horton is a pair of small settlements, West Horton and East Horton, divided by the a stream - the Horton Burn - in Northumberland, England north east of Wooler and west of Belford.-Landmarks:...
. At Horton the road continues as a C road for 7 miles (11.3 km) past Lowick
Lowick
Lowick may refer to:*Lowick, Cumbria*Lowick, Northamptonshire*Lowick, Northumberland...
.
The rural village of Lowick can be found in the northern part of Northumberland, 470 feet above sea level, approximately 9 miles (14.5 km) south of Berwick-upon-Tweed and 7 miles (11.3 km) northeast of Wooler. The ancient road used by the monks of Lindisfarne to Durham crosses the Roman Road called the Devil's Causeway here - it was at these crossroads that Lowick began to develop.
The road then passes through Berrington
Berrington, Northumberland
Berrington is a village in Northumberland, in England. It is situated to the south of Berwick-upon-Tweed, inland from the North Sea coast.- Governance :Berrington is in the parliamentary constituency of Berwick-upon-Tweed.-Landmarks:...
before heading towards Tweedmouth
Berwick-upon-Tweed
Berwick-upon-Tweed or simply Berwick is a town in the county of Northumberland and is the northernmost town in England, on the east coast at the mouth of the River Tweed. It is situated 2.5 miles south of the Scottish border....
and the mouth of the River Tweed
River Tweed
The River Tweed, or Tweed Water, is long and flows primarily through the Borders region of Great Britain. It rises on Tweedsmuir at Tweed's Well near where the Clyde, draining northwest, and the Annan draining south also rise. "Annan, Tweed and Clyde rise oot the ae hillside" as the Border saying...
.