Martinhoe

The Beacon Roman Fortlet at Martinhoe sits on a cliff top overlooking Heddon's Mouth on Devon's north coast, within Exmoor National Park. Occupied for roughly 10-20 years between 55-75 AD, it was built to monitor the Silures tribe in South Wales and served as a signal station with a beacon fire visible at sea. The inner square enclosure (c. 25 x 24 m) contained three timber buildings: a pair of L-shaped barracks each with eight cubicles, and a smaller two-room building with a nearby forge. The fortlet could accommodate a century of soldiers (approximately 80-100 troops).