# Devil's Causeway

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Roman road in England

Not to be confused with the [Devil's Highway (Roman Britain)](/source/Devil's_Highway_(Roman_Britain)), another Roman road in southern Britain.

Devil's Causeway Roman Road Location in Northumberland Devil's Causeway near Hartburn, Northumberland Northumberland Route information Length 55 mi (89 km) Time period Roman Britain Margary number 87 Major junctions From Bewclay To Berwick-upon-Tweed Location Country United Kingdom Road network Roman roads in Britannia

The **Devil's Causeway** is a [Roman road](/source/Roman_roads) in Northumberland, in [North East](/source/North_East_England) England. It branches off [Dere Street](/source/Dere_Street) north of [Corbridge](/source/Corbridge) and can be traced through Northumberland for about 55 miles (89 km) north to [Berwick-upon-Tweed](/source/Berwick-upon-Tweed).

## Description

The Devil's Causeway is a Roman roadway that is thought to pre-date [Hadrian's Wall](/source/Hadrian's_Wall). It started at the [Portgate](/source/Portgate), slightly north of Corbridge, where it branched off the Roman [Dere Street](/source/Dere_Street) ([A68 road](/source/A68_road)) as it continues north into [Redesdale](/source/Redesdale) on its way to [Caledonia](/source/Caledonia).[1] The Devil's Causeway continued to near the mouth of the [River Tweed](/source/River_Tweed) at [Berwick-upon-Tweed](/source/Berwick-upon-Tweed),[2] where it was used to support a presumed military port.

Less than 1 mile (2 km) to the east of the Portgate is the Roman [fort](/source/Castra) of [Onnum](/source/Hunnum), also known as Halton Chesters. It is probable that the Causeway was patrolled by a cavalry unit based there.

The fort at Halton Chesters was built across the line of the wall facing north, halfway between [milecastles](/source/Milecastles) 21 and 22 about 0.5 miles (0.80 km) east of Dere Street. The original Hadrianic fort was rather squat in outline, almost square, measuring some 440 feet north-south by 400 feet east-west, with an area of just over 4 acres (c. 134 x 122 m; 1.6 ha).

**LEG VI V P F FEC**

"The [Victorious Sixth Legion](/source/Legio_VI_Victrix), Loyal and Faithful, made this."

A dedicatory slab from the west gate of the fort tells how the [Sixth Legion](/source/Legio_VI_Victrix) were responsible for the initial building work but does not give the name of the original garrison. It is likely, but not proven, that the Hadrianic unit was a *cohors quingenaria equitata*, an auxiliary force containing a nominal five-hundred men, approximately half of whom were mounted. Units of this type have been identified at many wall forts, and would have been ideally placed here, the infantry contingent to guard the Fort and Wall, and the cavalry to patrol along Dere Street and the Devil's Causeway to the north.[3]

The road passes by [Great Whittington](/source/Great_Whittington), then north-east to [Hartburn](/source/Hartburn%2C_Northumberland), where just to the west it crosses the Hart Burn, a tributary of the [River Wansbeck](/source/River_Wansbeck). It continues to the east of [Netherwitton](/source/Netherwitton), where there was a much-discussed tower.

Devil's Causeway Tower, Netherwitton, was also known as or recorded in historical documents as Highbush Wood. King writes, "Marked on some OS maps as tower but now considered to be remains of cottage." The local [sites and monuments record](/source/Sites_and_monuments_record) still records it as "site of tower". Long records it as "remains of an irregular shaped tower". This site has been described as a [Pele Tower](/source/Peel_tower). The confidence that this site is a medieval fortification or palace is questionable.

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After Netherwitton, the road passes to the west of [Longhorsley](/source/Longhorsley). It continues east of north until it crosses the [River Coquet](/source/River_Coquet) east of [Brinkburn Priory](/source/Brinkburn_Priory), where it starts to head west by north, passing the western edge of [Longframlington](/source/Longframlington). North of Longframlington the road touches the [A697 road](/source/A697_road), then crosses it before passing west of [Edlingham](/source/Edlingham). Near the village of [Whittingham](/source/Whittingham%2C_Northumberland), there was a [Roman fort](/source/Roman_fort) at Learchild, from here a road headed west to meet [Dere Street](/source/Dere_Street) at [Bremenium](/source/Bremenium) (High Rochester). Just north of the fort, the road re-crosses the A697 before passing [Glanton](/source/Glanton) and reaching [Powburn](/source/Powburn).

At Powburn the A697 follows the course of the Devil's Causeway to cross the [River Breamish](/source/River_Till%2C_Northumberland) and stays with it for 2 miles (3.2 km). The Roman road then heads west by north, passing Newtown, Northumberland, before crossing the [River Till](/source/River_Till%2C_Northumberland) just before [Horton](/source/Horton%2C_Chatton). At Horton the road continues as a [C road](/source/C_roads_in_Great_Britain) for 7 miles (11 km) past [Lowick](/source/Lowick%2C_Northumberland).

The village of Lowick can be found in the northern part of Northumberland, 470 feet above sea level, about 9 miles (14 km) south of Berwick-upon-Tweed and 7 miles (11 km) north-east of Wooler. The ancient road used by the monks of Lindisfarne to Durham crosses the Devil's Causeway here – it was at this crossroads that Lowick began to develop.[4]

The road then passes through [Berrington](/source/Berrington%2C_Northumberland), before heading towards [Tweedmouth](/source/Tweedmouth) and the mouth of the [River Tweed](/source/River_Tweed).

## See also

- [Roman roads in Britain](/source/Roman_roads_in_Britain)

## References

Wikimedia Commons has media related to [Devil's Causeway](https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/Category:Devil%27s_Causeway).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-newcastle_1-0)** Henderson, Tony (8 May 2006). ["The rocky route of Devil's Causeway"](https://web.archive.org/web/20190810140452/http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/rocky-route-devils-causeway-4572565). *The Journal*. Archived from [the original](http://www.thejournal.co.uk/news/north-east-news/rocky-route-devils-causeway-4572565) on 10 August 2019. Retrieved 9 August 2018.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-neengland_2-0)** ["The Devil's Causeway"](https://web.archive.org/web/20160303225643/http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/Tynedale.htm). Archived from [the original](http://www.northeastengland.talktalk.net/Tynedale.htm) on 3 March 2016. Retrieved 17 December 2008.

1. **[^](#cite_ref-onnum_3-0)** ["Onnum Roman Fort"](https://www.roman-britain.co.uk/places/onnum/).

1. **[^](#cite_ref-nblcommunities_4-0)** ["Northumberland Communities"](http://communities.northumberland.gov.uk/Lowick.htm). Retrieved 14 March 2009.

Authority control databases: National United States Israel

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Adapted from the Wikipedia article [Devil's Causeway](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil's_Causeway) by Wikipedia contributors ([contributor history](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Devil's_Causeway?action=history)). Available under [Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International](https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/). Changes may have been made.