76·2d. A Cumulus of Roman Antiquitys at Housteads.
Stukeley delin.
74·2d. INSCRIPTIONVM Syllogen hanc ꝓpe Vallũ Picticũ in Scotia a Gente Victrice positarũ Comiti Penbrochiæ Mentis Magnitudine Virtutũ Ejusdẽ Æmulo & Antiquitatis Fautori egregio D.L.M. Wilhs. Stukeley qui fec. aq. for. 1720.
Above the house, upon the Picts wall is an altar; the legend gone. As for fragments of pillars, or rollers, as they call them, they lie scattered all over the place. A large part of a Doric capital lies by the door, consisting of two thori, or swelled mouldings in architectonic language.
But when we were led lower down into the meadow, we were surprised with the august scene of Romano-British antiquities, in the most neglected condition: a dozen most beautiful and large altars; as many fine basso relievo’s, nearly as big as the life, all tumbled in a wet meadow by a wall side, or one on the top of another, to make up the wall of the close: the basso relievo’s, some with their heads down the hill; particularly an admirable image of Victory, both arms knocked off: one large soldier, a sepulchral stone, with his short sword hanging at his right side, the man told us, was condemned to make a pig-trough on; but some gentlemen, full timely, with a small sum, for the present reprieved him: many soldiers with heads broke off; mutilated by the middle: three ladies sitting close together, with globes in their hands; their heads all gone.
Mr. Gale and I laboured hard at the inscriptions, and made out what we could of them under all disadvantages. Along the same wall, as we walked on further, we found more altars and carved stones of various sorts: but at length the farmer carried us up to a knoll in the middle of the meadow called Chapel-steed, where undoubtedly was the Roman temple: there we saw three or four most beautiful altars; and a little further, under another wall, a pretty sepulchral carving of an old soldier’s upper part in a niche.
With great regret we left the place, deserving to be accounted the Tadmor of Britain. The inscriptions being mostly of the captains of the first cohort of the Tungrians, shows they were chiefly stationed here; and then they had piety enough generally to erect such an altar, when they took possession of their post.