Roman Milestone, Middleton, Cumbria
N 54° 16.032 W 002° 34.849
30U E 527300 N 6013332
This Roman marker stands alone in a field beside the A683. Part of the inscription is modern from 1836. The stone is a cylindrical sandstone shaft about 0.5 metre wide and about 1.7 metres above ground.
Waymark Code: WM5VRP
Location: North West England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 02/17/2009
Views: 2
The stone was 'rescued' from the surrounding countryside and placed at the end of a section of Roman road. At times the modern road along the valley, A683, follows the course of this Roman road. The stone's inscription was originally M P LIII 'fifty-three thousand paces' or 53 Roman miles. About the distance to Carlisle. The stone is a listed monument Grade 2*.
When it was 'discovered' in 1836 by Richard Bownass, the farmer at Hawkin Hall, by ploughing it up some 200 metres to the west of its current position in the field, SOLO ERVTVM RESTITVIT CVL MOORE AN MDCCCXXXVI !! was added on the instruction of Giles Moore of Grimeshill. Meaning “restored from the soil by Giles Moore 1836”. (
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Here is a quote from CWAAS Transactions, in 1883 of a field visit to the Lune Valley on June 27 1883. (
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"Pausing at Grimes Hill, the party walked to the Roman mile-
stone about one hundred yards from the road. It is situated in
a plantation, and, at the request of the Editor of the Society's
Transactions, Dr. Parker scrambled over and dictated the inscription
letter by letter to the expectant multitude. It is
M.P. LIU
SOLO ERVTVM
RESTITVIT
GVL MOORE
AN MDCCCXXXVI
The anti-climax of the gvl moore after the first three lines was
greeted with much laughter. The milestone, and the m.p. liii are
Roman. It was found buried within a couple of hundred yards of
where it now stands, and the last four lines, commemorative of its
re-erection were the composition of Dr. Lingard. The Editor is
indebted to the Rev. W. B. Grenside for this information."
As can be seen the stone is no longer in a plantation and the correct inscription is below.
The stone is near Hawking Hall. The stone's age is unknown, but would have been before AD 300.
Park at Middleton Holy Ghost church to the north.
Links
Old Cumbria Gazetter (
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Romans in Britain (
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Flickr (
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Streetmap (
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