Milefortlet 4

Milefortlet 4 stands on Herd Hill near Bowness in Cumbria. It formed part of the Roman Cumbrian Coast defences, a chain of milefortlets and watchtowers stretching from Hadrian’s Wall along the coast. These structures were built at the same time as those on the wall itself. Archaeologists located the site in 1945 after spotting turfwork remains. A geophysical survey in 1994 confirmed its exact position on a low ridge north of Cardurnock. The fortlet had two linked watchtowers, Tower 4A and Tower 4B, spaced about one-third and two-thirds of a Roman mile to the west. Tower 4A probably stood on a ridge with clear views of the sea. Tower 4B, in a field west of Cardurnock, was excavated in 1977. The dig revealed three sides of the tower surviving as robber trenches, with the western side lost to erosion. Excavations showed the tower had three phases, shifting from wooden palisades to a stone structure. Today the milefortlet itself leaves no visible trace above ground. Its outline is known only through surveys and historical records. The surrounding landscape remains quiet farmland with distant sea views. Visitors walk the ridge where the fortlet once stood, imagining the Roman soldiers who manned this lonely outpost. The nearest tower, Tower 4B, lies in a field where faint earthworks hint at its past.