Leahill Turret, Hadrian's Wall

Leahill Turret is a typical example of one of the lookout towers located between the milecastles on Hadrian's Wall in Cumbria, located on the Lanercost Road near Banks [1]. It is designated turret 51b and lies east of the Signal Tower at Pike Hill [1]. Leahill 51b was built shortly after AD 122 as part of Hadrian's Wall, dismantled under the Emperor Septimius Severus, and casually re-occupied late in the 4th century [1]. Such lookout towers were only occupied on a temporary basis by soldiers who were patrolling the wall [1]. This turret was until 1927 buried beneath the road, when excavations led to its discovery and also the discovery of the precise location of the turf wall that preceded the later stone structure [1]. In 1958 Leahill turret was fully excavated prior to its consolidation [1]. This Roman turret was a detached structure abutting the Wall, with internal measurements 13 feet 8 inches North-South by 14 feet 6 inches East-West [1]. Metal detectorists have found a number of Roman coins in the area and a skeleton was uncovered during the 1958 excavations at Leahill Turret [1].