Milefortlet 3 (Pasture House) was a Milefortlet of the Roman Cumbrian Coast defences. These milefortlets and intervening stone watchtowers extended from the western end of Hadrian's Wall, along the Cumbrian coast and were linked by a wooden palisade. They were contemporary with defensive structures on Hadrian's Wall. There is little to see on the ground but Milefortlet 3 has been located on aerial photographs.
Description
Milefortlet 3 is situated in a field beside Pasture House Farm in the civil parish of Bowness. It was located in 1945 by the finding of turfwork immediately beyond the stream northeast of the farm.[1] There is little to see from the ground but most of the outline of the milefortlet was seen as a soilmark on aerial photographs in 1946.[1]
Associated Towers
Each milefortlet had two associated towers, similar in construction to the turrets built along Hadrian's Wall. These towers were positioned approximately one-third and two-thirds of a Roman mile to the west of the Milefortlet, and would probably have been manned by part of the nearest Milefortlet's garrison. The towers associated with Milefortlet 3 are known as Tower 3A (grid reference NY18126042) and Tower 3B (grid reference NY17646031).[2][3]
The position of Tower 3A is uncertain, although there used to be a mound in a field about 400 metres west of Pasture House.[2] The site of Tower 3B is within another field, and is a Scheduled Ancient Monument.[3] Tower 3B was excavated by in 1880 which revealed a flagged floor surface, on which were the remains of pottery, an amphora handle, human bones, and quantities of mussel shells.[3]
