Westerwood Roman fort

Westerwood is a district in the north-east of Cumbernauld, North Lanarkshire. It sits near the Antonine Wall, a turf fortification built by the Romans in the 2nd century. The area once housed a Roman fort that guarded this frontier. Neighbouring forts included Croy Hill to the west and Castlecary to the east. A well-preserved stretch of the wall lies between Castlecary and Westerwood at Tollpark. The fort played a key role in Rome’s northern defences. Archaeologists believe it housed around 500 soldiers, with larger nearby forts like Castlecary holding up to 1000. Excavations in 1932, 1974 and 1985-8 uncovered artefacts unique to the site. These include a distance slab showing a sea-deity and a captive, now in Glasgow’s Hunterian Museum. Other finds were a diamond-patterned stone, a grey jar and a religious stone with a phallus symbol and the words EX VOTO and NUX. Today, visitors can walk sections of the Antonine Wall near Westerwood. A kissing gate behind the Castlecary Hotel leads to the eastern stretch. Parking is available at Dullatur or Croy for the western side. The land around the fort once supported civilian communities. Pottery fragments suggest local production by a single potter. The site offers a quiet glimpse into Scotland’s Roman past.