The Boundaries Discussion : Hotbank

Hotbank Hotbank Hotbank

The Hotbank boundaries begin at Sewingshields Crag and extend to the west along the line of Hadrian's Wall. The first four sections are walls constructed of carboniferous sandstone and gritstone with considerable quantities of reused Roman material. Section 2 includes a gateway known as the King's Wicket, which is recorded in the Enclosure Award of 1749 and earlier in 1723 by the antiquary John Warburton, as a well-established crossing point. In the 1751 Enclosure Award it is referred to as a

• 'Private way over Hotbank Common…from Sewingshields to Henshaw Common, crosses near the end of Little Cow Lough and then directly south to Busy-Gap…to be hedged at ten yards depth…all hedges or fences pursuant upon the award should have a ditch or gutter on each side at least three feet in breadth and three feet deep' (NRO QRA 65/1).

It is probable however that the King's Wicket referred to by the historical sources was situated a few metres to the east of the present gate and stile, indicated a by a break in the bank and possible holloway.

On the north side of the wall, close to this crossing point is a curvilinear bank which does not appeared to be associated with the Roman Wall. G.R.B.Spain writing in the 1920s suggested an association with the earthwork known as the Black Dyke. He maintains that the Dyke 'mounted the King's Wicket Hill crossing the Busy-Gap valley and ascending the Sewingshields Crags to the north east.

Two groups of entrenchments appear to defend Busy-Gap to the west and in front of the Roman Wall. These works may or may not be outlying defences of the Black Dyke.' (Spain, 'The Black Dyke in Northumberland: An Account of an Earthwork'. Arch Ael.XIX).

Sections 5, 6 and 8 are lengths of Hadrian's Wall itself and are therefore not considered to require further discussion. Sections 7, 9, 10 are built on the foundation of the Roman wall, which stands to a maximum of four courses, and are of much the same construction as sections 1 - 4. They also include very considerable quantities of reused Roman material.

The walls are however showing signs of deterioration, including the complete loss of top stones along some sections. A remnant stone walled enclosure, with internal sub-divisions, in the form of low banks, runs parallel to Section 9, south west of Hotbank Farm. Approximately 60m long by 3m wide and ditched on the north side, it would appear to have been some form of sheepfold or cattle pen. There is no indication of it on any map.

Wall sections 11, 12 and 13 post date the 1784 Enclosure Award but are present by 1854. A few metres to the east of section 13 is an early settlement in the form of a stone walled curvilinear enclosure with associated field system. The field system extends to the south east with a low bank underlying the present field wall An irregular pattern of banks was also evident to the north west of the settlement enclosure. Section 13 also crosses the vallum to the south of this point.

The boundary sections to the south of the Military Road around High Shield (nos.16 - 23) are of an entirely different character. The majority are derelict or remnant hedge banks and some clearly stone faced with well-defined ditches all include post and wire fences.

At the junction of the field wall section 15 with the stone faced hedge bank section 16, the bank was observed to continue to the north east but had been almost completely eroded away by rigg and furrow.

The orientation of this short section does not conform to the general pattern of the 18th century enclosures and the continuing section to the east is not indicated on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map. It is therefore possible that this section represents an element of an earlier, perhaps mediaeval, field system.

To the east of High Shield are the remnants of a complex of stone-faced hedge banks. South of section 22 and west of section 21 these are indicated on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map as being a series land holdings held by various individuals within the Township of Thorngrafton; it is probable therefore that the holding boundary of High Shield has remained constant at this point.

The stone wall section 24 extends over a hedge bank, orientated northwest to south east, just to the south of the Military Road. Although both wall and hedge bank are shown on the 1st edition Ordnance Survey map it is reasonable to assume that the hedge bank was redundant by this date, since the wall is associated with the 1783-7 enclosures. To the east of this section is further rigg and furrow. At the junction of sections 23 and 24 a small cup-marked stone was discovered.