More information : (NU 10151133) New Roman fort. (1) "Ditches suggested by one of St Joseph's prints. Excavation discovered much Roman stuff, including roofing tiles and Antonine pottery". (2) Heaps of turf and stone near the homestead of Low Learchild indicate that it was once a more considerable place. In the surrounding green are remains of old earthen enclosures. (3) Extends from NU 10101146 to NU 10191124. The situation of the fort is on a slight rise with a fine view on all sides except where overlooked by the high ground about 600.m to the east. Surface indications are very slight,the fields concerned, although now under pasture, have been ploughed many times. There is a 'bump' in the occupation road at NU 10101146 which marks the northern rampart, and another in the hedge at NU 10191139 indicates the eastern limit of the fort. In the two fields to the east of the road the rampart is visible when viewed from a distance as a very slight bank, but none of the slopes are surveyable. The fields to the west of the road are ridge and furrow ploughed and show no traces of the rampart. There are no surface indications in the fields south of the disused railway. Hodgson refers to old field banks in the vicinity of the present farm buildings. These are merely old enclosures attached to the farm and have no archaeological significance. (4) The east and north sides of two successive forts were revealed during investigations by I A Richmond. The earlier, contained within the other, was defended by two double ditches 8 feet wide and 8 feet apart, which had been deliberately filled with turf. The east side was at least 250 feet long and the north at least 130 feet long. The later fort, of which the ditch yielded some coarse ware of second century date, had an east side at least 760 feet long and a north side at least 250 feet long. It was defended by a single ditch 15 feet wide and a clay rampart 23 feet wide. First and second-century pottery from the site was recovered by the late Sir Walter Aitchison in 1946. (5) Although the site is at present under pasture, further ploughing in recent years has obliterated all traces of the work apart from a broad ground swelling representing the NE angle. (6) Alauna, situated on the River Aln, Northumberland. Name 'ALAVNA'? accepted for 4th. edition R.B.Map. (7)
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