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The Great Britain Guide

Hill forts · Scottish Lowlands

Milefortlet 21

Free admission

Milefortlet 21 — milefortlet of the Roman Cumbrian Coast defences, in Crosscanonby, Allerdale, England, UK.

Milefortlet 21, hill forts in Scottish Lowlands

Wikimedia Commons licence

Plan your visit

Typical visit
1 h–2 h
Nearest railway station
Maryport · 4.8 km
  • Free entry
  • Dog-friendly

About

Milefortlet 21 is a hill fort in the United Kingdom. Heritage designation: scheduled monument. Part of borders of the Roman Empire. Wikidata describes it as: "milefortlet of the Roman Cumbrian Coast defences, in Crosscanonby, Allerdale, England, UK". Coordinates: 54.7466°, -3.4505°.

Photo gallery

Protected designations

  • Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty: Solway Coast

Designations sourced from Natural England open data under OGL v3.

From the Wikipedia article

Milefortlet 21 (Swarthy Hill) was a Milefortlet of the Roman Cumbrian Coast defences. These defences were contemporary with defensive structures on Hadrian's Wall. Its remains exist as reconstructed turf ramparts (to a height of about 1 metre (3.3 ft)) and ditch, reinstated to its original profile (also around 1 metre (3.3 ft)). They are located on a low cliff on the coast, north of the village of Crosscanonby, and just inland from the coastal road. It is the only milefortlet to have been fully excavated and is open to the public.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

Architecture

Milefortlet 21 was a long-axis milefortlet, constructed with 6 m wide turf ramparts and timber gates. The ramparts were constructed from turf facings revetting a sand core, giving internal dimensions of 14.5 m by 18 m. The internal dimensions of the seaward gateway was 3 m square, formed of four posts. Internal to the milefortlet was a road (no evidence of which was found outside the ramparts). To the south-west of the road there were three buildings; all apparently built on sleeper walls and of similar size, but not of the same layout. The seaward two shared a common wall, and the third was free standing. The most seaward contained a hearth, and the central building contained a furnace or…

Visiting

The previous access point (from the small car park immediately below the milefortlet) was closed in 2009 or 2010. The site can be accessed via an unmarked but good path. The path begins at a field gate just north-east of the B5300's junction with Crosscanonby Lane. Parking is available a few metres along Crosscanonby Lane.

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
54.7466, -3.4505
District
Cumberland
Parish
Crosscanonby
Postcode
CA15 6SL
Parliamentary constituency
Penrith and Solway
Nearest railway station
Maryport4.8 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Milefortlet 21?
Milefortlet 21 is in the Scottish Lowlands, United Kingdom (postcode CA15 6SL), in the parish of Crosscanonby.
Is Milefortlet 21 a listed building?
Milefortlet 21 is officially recognised as scheduled monument listed.
Is Milefortlet 21 a protected site?
Yes — Milefortlet 21 is part of the Solway Coast National Landscape (AONB).
Is Milefortlet 21 free to visit?
Yes, Milefortlet 21 is free to enter.
How do I get to Milefortlet 21?
The nearest railway station is Maryport, about 4.8 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode CA15 6SL.