Milefortlet - Hadrians Wall

Milefortlets were small Roman forts extending Hadrian's Wall defensive system along the Cumbrian coast from Bowness-on-Solway southward for at least 27 miles. Unlike milecastles on the Wall proper, these were linked by a wooden palisade rather than a stone wall, and lacked gateways through the frontier. Each milefortlet had two associated watchtowers. Milefortlet 21 at Crosscanonby was the first to be totally excavated, yielding Hadrianic-period pottery (AD 117-138), sandstone gaming boards, and ironwork. The system helped control movement across the Solway Firth estuary.