Milecastle 38 (also known as Hotbank) was a small Roman fortification forming part of Hadrian’s Wall in northern England. Situated near Hotbank Farm in Northumberland (grid reference NY 772 768 13; coordinates 55°00′26″ N 2°21′25″ W), it occupied a position between the larger milecastles that marked intervals of roughly one Roman mile along the frontier wall.
Description
The surviving remains consist mainly of low earthwork outlines and robber‑trenches indicating the former walls. The milecastle measured approximately 18 m (east–west) by 15 m (north–south) and featured a short‑axis plan with a Type I gateway. A rectangular building was identified in the south‑west corner, and a 3.6 m wide causeway led eastward from the structure.
Excavations
Archaeological investigations were carried out in 1935. The excavation confirmed the dimensions and layout described above and yielded pottery dating to the 4th century AD, indicating continued occupation after the initial construction of the wall. A tombstone fragment, repurposed as a pivot stone in the south gateway, bore an incomplete Latin inscription.
Inscription
Milecastle 38 is notable for a joint dedication stone that records the names of Emperor Hadrian and the provincial governor Aulus Platorius Nepo s. The inscription, recovered in two parts (c. 1715 and 1829), reads:
IMP CAES TRAIAN HADRIANI AVG LEG II AVG APLATORIONEPOTELEGPRPR
The text identifies Hadrian, the Second Augustan Legion (Legio II Augusta) that erected the stone, and Governor Aulus Platorius Nepo s.
Associated turrets
Each milecastle on Hadrian’s Wall was linked to two smaller watch‑towers positioned roughly one‑third and two‑thirds of a Roman mile to its west. The turrets associated with Milecastle 38 are:
- Turret 38A (Milking Gap) – grid reference NY 768 767 92. Located by exploratory excavation in 1911; no visible remains survive.
- Turret 38B (Highshield Crag) – grid reference NY 763 967 85. Also identified in 1911; presently visible only as an earthwork platform.
Public access
The site of Milecastle 38, together with the locations of Turrets 38A and 38B, is accessible via the Hadrian’s Wall Path, a long‑distance walking route that follows the line of the ancient wall.
References
- Pevsner, Nikolaus; Grundy, John; McCombie, Grace; Ryder, Peter; Welfare, Humphrey (1992). Northumberland. Yale University Press.
- PastScape entries for Milecastle 38, Turret 38A, and Turret 38B (Historic England).
This entry is based on information from the Wikipedia article “Milecastle 38” and associated heritage records.