Milefortlet 22 facts for kids
Quick facts for kids Milefortlet 22 |
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Milefortlet 22 lies beneath Maryport Golf Course
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 Location in Cumbria
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| Type | Milecastle |
| Location | |
| Coordinates | 54°44′10″N 3°27′58″W / 54.736241°N 3.466024°W |
| County | Cumbria |
| Country | England |
Milefortlet 22 (Brownrigg) was a small fort built by the Romans in ancient Roman Britain. It was part of a long line of defences along the Cumbrian coast. These defences stretched from the western end of Hadrian's Wall all the way along the coast of Cumbria.
The Roman army built these milefortlets (small forts) and stone watchtowers to protect the coast. They were connected by a wooden fence, called a palisade. These coastal defences were built around the same time as Hadrian's Wall. Today, you can't see much of Milefortlet 22 on the surface, but archaeologists have found and dug up the site.
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Where is Milefortlet 22 Located?
Milefortlet 22 is found on the Maryport Golf Course in a place called Crosscanonby. The exact spot where the fort once stood is now covered by a golf green.
What Did Excavations Reveal?
Archaeologists dug up the site of Milefortlet 22 in 1962 and again in 1968. These digs helped us learn a lot about the fort.
Discoveries from the Digs
In 1962, the excavations uncovered the fort's ditch and its rampart (a defensive wall of earth). They also found paved floors inside the fort. Between the stones of the floor, they discovered pieces of pottery. It seems the ditch was filled in and the fort was taken apart after the year 140 AD.
The 1968 excavations showed an entrance to the fort that was about 1.8 metres wide. This entrance faced the cliff. Around the other three sides of the fort, there was a U-shaped ditch. A gravel road that ran along the top of the cliff also turned into the fort.
What Were the Associated Towers?
Each milefortlet had two watchtowers nearby. These towers were built in a similar way to the turrets (small towers) found along Hadrian's Wall.
Purpose of the Towers
These towers were placed about one-third and two-thirds of a Roman mile to the west of the milefortlet. Soldiers from the nearest milefortlet would likely have guarded these towers. The towers linked to Milefortlet 22 are known as Tower 22A and Tower 22B. Tower 22A is thought to be a low, grass-covered mound, only 10 centimetres high, also on the Maryport Golf Course. The exact location of Tower 22B is not yet known.
