Milefortlet 3

Milefortlet 3 lies in a field beside Pasture House Farm near Bowness. It formed part of the Roman Cumbrian Coast defences, a chain of milefortlets and watchtowers stretching from Hadrian’s Wall along the coast. These defences were built at the same time as those on the wall itself. The site is now hard to see on the ground, but aerial photographs taken in 1946 revealed the outline of its turf walls. The fortlet was first spotted in 1945 when turfwork was found beyond a stream to the north-east of the farm. The fortlet had two small towers placed about one-third and two-thirds of a Roman mile to the west. These towers would have been manned by soldiers from the nearest milefortlet. Tower 3A’s exact position is unclear, though a mound once stood about 400 metres west of Pasture House. Tower 3B, however, is a Scheduled Ancient Monument in a nearby field. In 1880, an excavation uncovered a flagged floor with pottery, an amphora handle, human bones and mussel shells. Visitors today see open farmland where the fortlet once stood. The outlines of its walls survive only as soil marks visible from above. Tower 3B’s site is marked in the field, though nothing remains above ground. The surrounding countryside is quiet and rural, with Pasture House Farm still in use. The place offers a quiet glimpse into Roman coastal defences and their vanished structures.