Whitley Castle

Whitley Castle, also known as Epiacum, stands on a lozenge-shaped spur of high ground in the Pennine hills of Northumberland, about 300 metres above sea level. It is the highest stone-built Roman fort in Britain and was first constructed early in the 2nd century AD. The fort was rebuilt around AD 200, possibly after an uprising of northern tribes, and modified again about AD 300. Unlike most Roman forts, it has a lozenge shape to fit the site, with internal features distorted accordingly. The fort was sited to protect lead mining in the area and support Hadrian’s Wall, about 24 kilometres to the north. The fort’s unusual shape and complex defensive earthworks make it unique among Roman sites. It is surrounded by four steep defensive ditches and banks, with seven ramparts across the uphill side, the most complex system of any known Roman fort. Inside, the fort had straight roads, a headquarters building, barracks, granaries, a bath house, and a temple dedicated to the Emperor Caracalla. Inscriptions on altars found at the site reveal the presence of the Legio VI Victrix from York and the 2nd Cohort of Nervians, auxiliaries from the lower Rhine. Visitors to Whitley Castle find a site largely unexcavated but clearly visible from aerial photographs. The remains lie under permanent pasture for sheep on Castle Nook hill farm. Artefacts recovered include altars dedicated to Hercules and Apollo, leather shoes, coins, pottery, beads, nails, and a bronze dolphin handle from the bath house. The fort’s earthworks and stone ramparts are most clearly seen from above, while the surrounding Pennine hills offer sweeping views. The site remains isolated, which has helped preserve much of it. A new permissive access route starts at the South Tyne Trail, leading to the fort’s grassy slopes and the traces of its past.