Milefortlet 15 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Milefortlet 15 |
|
|---|---|
The eroding cliff of Mawbray Bank in the vicinity of Milefortlet 15
|
|
 Location in Allerdale
Location in Cumbria
|
|
| Type | Milecastle |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 54°49′21″N 3°25′24″W / 54.822535°N 3.42331°W |
| County | Cumbria |
| Country | England |
Milefortlet 15 was a small Roman fort, called a milefortlet, that was part of the Roman defences along the Cumbrian coast in Roman Britain. These milefortlets were like mini-forts. They stretched from the western end of Hadrian's Wall all the way along the coast of Cumbria.
The milefortlets were connected by a wooden fence or palisade. They also had stone watchtowers in between them. These defences were built around the same time as Hadrian's Wall. Sadly, the site of Milefortlet 15 has probably been washed away by the sea over time. A Roman cemetery from the 3rd century, linked to a nearby fort at Beckfoot, was also found in this area.
Contents
Where Was Milefortlet 15?
Milefortlet 15 was located on a cliff. This cliff was between the villages of Beckfoot and Mawbray. It was in a local area called Holme St Cuthbert. The milefortlet was about 350 metres (about 1,150 feet) southwest of the Roman fort at Beckfoot, which was called Bibra.
Most experts believe that the site of Milefortlet 15 has been completely destroyed. This happened because of coastal erosion. This is when the sea slowly wears away the land. In 1954, archaeologists tried to find parts of the fort. They looked at an eastern wall, but they didn't find much. By 1980, the entire site had disappeared due to the eroding cliff.
A Roman Cemetery Nearby
Right next to Milefortlet 15, there was a Roman cremation cemetery. A cemetery is a place where people are buried. Cremation is when a body is burned after death. This cemetery was connected to the Bibra Roman Fort and the village that grew up around it, known as a vicus.
Archaeologists found interesting items at the cemetery. These included pieces of fine Roman pottery called Samian ware. They also found a bronze disc brooch, which is a type of decorative pin. In 2006, more excavations took place. During this dig, eight cremation burials were found. Pottery found with these burials helped date them to the 3rd century AD.
Watchtowers Along the Coast
Each milefortlet had two smaller watchtowers associated with it. These towers were built in a similar way to the turrets found along Hadrian's Wall. They were placed about one-third and two-thirds of a Roman mile to the west of the milefortlet. A Roman mile was a bit shorter than a modern mile.
These towers were probably manned by soldiers from the nearest milefortlet. The two towers linked to Milefortlet 15 are known as Tower 15A and Tower 15B.
Tower 15A
The site of Tower 15A is on top of a tall sand dune. It is about 75 metres (about 246 feet) from the sea. In 1954, archaeologists dug here. They found the eastern wall of a building that was about 6 metres (20 feet) square. They also found small pieces of pottery and other items that showed people had lived there.
Tower 15B
The site of Tower 15B has not been found yet. The area where it should be is covered by very high sand dunes. This makes it hard for archaeologists to search for it.
