Milecastle 17
Milecastle 17 (Welton/Whittledean) is a Roman milecastle on Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, England. Today the remains are a low ground platform, about 15 meters by 18 meters, located near the Welton area and the Whittle Dene reservoirs.
About 174 meters west of Milecastle 17, the wall changes in construction. This difference suggests the wall may have formed a boundary between two different Roman legions building the wall.
The milecastle has been known since at least 1732, and excavations have uncovered many finds, including evidence of post-Roman use.
Two small turrets were built with the milecastle: Turret 17A (Welton East) and Turret 17B (Horsley). Both sit beneath the B3618 Military Road today. Turret 17A was made a Scheduled Ancient Monument in 1997, and Turret 17B was scheduled as well after its 1931 excavation. 17A has a door in the southwest and a ladder platform in the southeast, with an additional platform in the northwest. 17B is similar, with a door in the southwest and a ladder platform in the southeast, lying under the road with no visible remains.
East of the milecastle stood a milestone, erected in AD 213, naming Gaius Julius Marcus, a Roman governor of Britain. That name is the only written record of him, as his other inscriptions were erased by Emperor Caracalla’s orders.
Milecastle 17 is a short-axis milecastle with Type I gateways, likely built by Legio II Augusta, based in Caerleon. It is near Welton, Northumberland, about 180 meters from the Whittle Dene reservoirs.
This page was last edited on 3 February 2026, at 20:26 (CET).