Devil's Causeway

Coordinates: 55°18′29″N 1°48′32″W / 55.308°N 1.809°W / 55.308; -1.809

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

Description

The Devil’s Causeway starts at Port Gate, now a roundabout where the Roman Dere Street (A68 road) crosses the military road. To the north of Corbridge at a place called Port Gate, the Roman Dere Street crossed Hadrian's Wall as it continued north into Redesdale on its way to Caledonia. Another Roman road known as the Devil’s Causeway, joined Dere Street at Portgate, and can be traced north eastwards across Northumberland, to the mouth of the River Tweed at Berwick-Upon-Tweed.

Less than 1 mile (2 km) to the east is the Roman fort of Onnum, and 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, half way between 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 just over 4 acres (c. 134 x 122 m; 1.6 ha).