We leave Benwell on our right hand, a Roman station. The road two or three miles west of Newcastle is very broad and strait, and enters the west gate directly.
At East Denton, three miles west of Newcastle, is an inscription, in a stable-wall, of the eighth cohort of the second legion.
NEWCASTLE.
This is a very large and populous town. The Picts wall ran along by the north side of the road from Corbridge hither, upon a northern declivity all the way, and in a strait line, on the north side of Newcastle. The present castle was built where the Roman castrum was, and the Roman bridge: that and the walls of the town, the churches, and oldest houses, are raised from the plunder of the Roman wall, which ought to have been preserved as the noblest monument in Europe: it seems to have gone across the present town, from the west gate to Pandon gate; and lately, about the meeting-house, they dug up foundations of it: near Pandon gate was found a seal-ring, now in Mr. Warburton’s possession.
One of the church steeples in this town is of a very ingenious model, the original of one near London bridge. The bridge here is very long, has houses on it: the arches and piers are rather larger than those of London bridge. There is a ground-plot of this town lately made by an artist. In some parts of this country, the ordinary people make a good sort of ale called hather, that is, ling ale, by boiling the tops of the Hather plant to a wort: then I suppose they put wormwood to it, and ferment it.
The coal in this country, and which is universally diffused through it, dips many ways, as the falls of valleys, or ducts of rivers, occasionally divert its primary bent; but the main dip of it is to the south-east. Sometimes here are fissures, or interruptions of some considerable quantity, being coaled strata, stone, and other materials jumbled together: this proves that there has been such a partial disruption of the strata of the earth, as we all along suppose was effected by the Deluge; but not such a hotch-potch, or total mixture and confusion, as others would pretend. It is objected against our scheme, that the fishes in this deluge would be destroyed, and so the renewal of them prevented; for, whether the water of the flood was salt or fresh, or compound, yet this consequence must follow: and indeed I allow it; but I suppose the eggs of these fishes renewed the species, which, like the seeds of plants, would in an immense quantity escape the storm, and provide for the succeeding world. Immense are the quantities of coals transported from this focus of the kingdom; and the trade thereof is a perpetual source of seamen for our navy. They speak very broad; so that, as one walks the streets, one can scarce understand the common people, but are apt to fancy one’s self in a foreign country. The perpetual clouds of smoke hovering in the air makes every thing look black, as at London; and the falling of it down must needs inrich all the ground round about.
It is an old proverb in this country, “As old as Pandon gate;” which shows that there were formerly some ancient remains thereabouts; and I believe the Picts wall went from thence, or rather somewhat above it, i. e. north of it, directly across the town, to West gate; though now the town is enlarged beyond it: nor was the old city, which stood within the Wall, so broad to the east and west, as the present town, but only filled up one of the eminences on which it now stands, having deep valleys with brooks running through them on the sides. Again, it may be inferred, there was a city or castrum at Newcastle, because the Wall on both sides runs in toward a point somewhat this way; otherwise they ought to have carried it on by a straiter line north of the town, and above it at some distance, and where it would better the northern side of a declivity than at present; which was not so very necessary when there was a city or castle here, beside Gabrocentum on the other side of the water. Further, the ferry over the river here would naturally erect a city for travellers northward.
Thus I conceive the intention and management of this famous work, the Roman wall. It reaches 90 Roman miles: this is distributed into nine parts by one of the largest castles, or cities: that interval has six lesser castles. The names of the larger, till I am better informed, are thus: 1. Blatum Bulgium, Boulness; 2. Drumabon, Drumburg castle; 3. Luguvallum, Carlisle; 4. Amboglauna, Castlesteeds; 5. Voreda, Caer Voran; 6. Borcovicus, Housesteeds; 7. Procolitia, Caerhaw brough; 8. Hunnum, Portgate; 9. Vindolana, Ruchester; 10. Banna, Newcastle. The great castles were generally 400 foot square: these held a cohort; the lesser held a maniple, or century: the first consisted of 600, the other of 120 men; for the Romans, in their military affairs especially, reckoned by dozens. Thus the great castles contained a full legion, 6000 men; the lesser, or centuries, a legion and half: the cohorts were the standing garrison; the centuries were the watch: for the Romans did not, as at present, set a single man to watch over an army; but they watched by centuries, whence we have got the word of standing century, without the thing. This I suppose the primary disposition, whence it was provided that two legions and a half should be a sufficient force to render this wall impregnable; and no doubt it was so, as long as the Romans continued here. Further, upon the mouths of the rivers were the fleets and galleys, to prevent the enemy from passing them in their boats, as the Cohors Ælia classica at Tunnocelum, or Tynmouth, as the Notitia Imperii in the last times informs us. As also, of the disposition of the other troops along the Wall, and castles adjacent at that time. Notwithstanding the foregoing method of planting these castles, as the regular and primary intention of the Romans, in such regular distances that they may relieve one another as occasion requires; yet it must be understood with allowance, and accordingly we find it so: they were not so strict as to plant their castles at the alligned distances indiscriminately, for that would be ridiculous; but chose out all along the nearest ground to those distances, which by situation, on hills and the like, best suited the end, for strength, prospect, water, and all other conveniencies: they likewise placed them thinner, or more frequent, as the more or less defensible parts of the Wall required.
I pursued the Picts Wall beyond Pandon gate to Baker-mill hill, two miles off eastward: it is very plain thither from Sandgate mill, both the ridge of the wall, and ditch, the common road going beside it, and many stones in the foundation left: it passes a very deep valley at Euxburn, so ascends the opposite western hill very steep; a rivulet running now in the ditch. Having mounted the hill, a coal-shaft is sunk in the very ditch, and here is a square fort left upon the Wall: some of the foundation of the wall of the fort, and of the Picts Wall, is visible. This is upon an eminence, and sees from Newcastle one way beside Benwell hill beyond it, where was another fort; and to Baker-mill hill the other way, where no doubt was another; but a mill and some farmhouses, standing thereon, have obliterated it. Between here and Baker-mill hill both wall and ditch are very plain, the ditch being deep, with a rivulet running along it: the present common road to Tynmouth passes on its north side. The foundation of the wall is yet intire within the pastures, and a considerable ridge of it is left. Without the ditch is a coal-work lately set on fire, which vomits out smoke continually, like a volcano: many more coal-works all about it. From Baker-mill hill I observe it goes still forward eastward, in a right line, upon the northern verge of the hills, as it has done hitherto, till it comes pretty near the Tyne.[TAB. LXXVII.] From this hill I took a prospect of its course Newcastle-ward; and the rather, because in all probability, if, not from the fired coal-work at present, yet from some others hereabouts, the country being intirely undermined, it may some time or other sink, and disorder the track of this stately work.
Afterward I pursued the Wall westward out of west gate. As soon as I passed the houses, I espied the ditch on my left hand, and the bank whereon stood the Wall: the common road goes all the way on its north side. I followed it for two miles up the hill by Eswic, going along the road side as before. Many shafts of the coal-mines are sunk upon it. When we are got into the closes, the foot-way goes along that called Adrian’s ditch; both bank and ditch plainly visible, the bank north. It runs parallel to the Wall, but upon the declining ground south, as the other north: this confirms me in my suspicion, that both works were made at the same time, and by the same persons, and with intent that this should be a counter-guard to the other, the whole included space being military ground. When arrived at the highest ground, is Benwell hill, a military work, one of the larger castra; being 400 foot along the wall, i. e. east and west; not quite so much north and south, 350: this is intrenched with a foss, and had a stone wall, the vestiges whereof are sufficiently distinguishable; as also great tracks of buildings within it, as at the others. It commands a great prospect every way: I doubt not but they could see hence to the next castrum westward; to the east, over Newcastle to the late-mentioned little fort beyond Euxborn; so to Baker-mill hill: southward is a most delightful prospect up two fine valleys over the Tyne; so up the hills south of Gabrocentum, or Gateshead: the eye reaches too the sea-coast to Tunnocelum, or Tynmouth, and the mouth of the river. The village of Benwell subjacent was built out of the ruins of this place, and great quantity of stone is still left. I saw much fragments of Roman bricks, pavings, and gutter-tiles. Two urns were dug up near here; sent to Durham college. I transcribed some altars too, found in this place, at Mr. Shaftoe’s of Benwell tower.