Milecastle 29

Milecastle 29
The site of Milecastle 29
Milecastle 29 Milecastle 29 shown within Northumberland
OS grid reference	NY88887109
Coordinates	55°02′03″N 2°10′32″W / 55.034267°N 2.175435°W / 55.034267; -2.175435Coordinates: 55°02′03″N 2°10′32″W / 55.034267°N 2.175435°W / 55.034267; -2.175435
List of places UK England Northumberland

Milecastle 29 (Tower Tye) was a milecastle of the Roman Hadrian's Wall. Its remains exist as a mutilated earth platform accentuated by deep robber-trenches around all sides, and are located beside the B6318 Military Road. Like Milecastles 9, 23, 25, and 51, a ditch has been identified around the Milecastle, and is still visible to a small extent. It has been postulated that this was as a result of the need for drainage on the site.

Milecastle 29 was a long-axis milecastle though the gateway type cannot be identified. Such milecastles were thought to have been constructed by the legio VI Victrix who were based in Eboracum (York), or by the legio XX Valeria Victrix who were based in Deva Victrix (Chester).

The milecastle was stated in 1840 as having dimensions of 63 feet (19 m) North-South by 58 feet (18 m) East-West with both southern corners (away from the wall) being rounded off.

The presence of a milecastle ditch is still evident, including a causeway crossing the ditch opposite the milecastle's south gate. A break in the north mound of the vallum and causeway over the vallum ditch (offset to the east) is also present. There is also disputable evidence of a causeway over the wall ditch opposite the milecastle's north gate.

Each milecastle on Hadrian's Wall had two associated turret structures. These turrets were positioned approximately one-third and two-thirds of a Roman mile to the west of the Milecastle, and would probably have been manned by part of the milecastle's garrison. The turrets associated with Milecastle 29 are known as Turret 29A and Turret 29B.