Scheduled Monuments›England›Blitterlees (milefortlet 12), part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast

Blitterlees (milefortlet 12), part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast

England

List entry 1014913

Nation

England

The designation

Reference

List entry 1014913

Authority

Historic England (NHLE)

Status

Scheduled Monument

Scheduled area

0.37 hectares

Grid reference

NY 10415 52563

Boundary

Scheduled area

Overview

History & significance

Blitterlees is a milefortlet forming part of the Roman coastal defence system of north-west England, dating to the second century AD. Located on the Cumbrian coast near Silloth in Cumberland, the site represents one of a series of small fortified structures built to control movement along the shoreline during the Roman occupation. The milefortlet originally comprised a small rectangular enclosure with defensive ditches, though its visible remains today are substantially degraded. These coastal fortlets served a garrison function and formed an integrated part of the broader Roman frontier strategy in the region, complementing larger forts positioned further inland.

Blitterlees (milefortlet 12), part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1014913. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Blitterlees (milefortlet 12), part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast?

Blitterlees is a milefortlet forming part of the Roman coastal defence system of north-west England, dating to the second century AD. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1014913.

Who is responsible for protecting Blitterlees (milefortlet 12), part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast?

Blitterlees (milefortlet 12), part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1014913.

What other scheduled monuments are near Blitterlees (milefortlet 12), part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Enclosure 1/2 mile (800m) S of Wolsty (2.7 km), Beckfoot Roman fort (4 km), Roman fortlet 40m SSW of Castle Fields (4.3 km).

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Blitterlees (milefortlet 12), part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of Blitterlees (milefortlet 12), part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview

An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.

Monuments

The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.

Battlefields

The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.

Roman Britain

The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.

Domesday

The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.

Civil War

The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.

Geology

The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.

LiDAR

Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.

Local Names

What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.

Historical Maps

Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.

Literature

The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.

Legal

The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.

Spotlight

A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.

Target Zones

For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.

Timeline

The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.

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Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.

Start your Blitterlees (milefortlet 12), part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast report

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Nearby

Other scheduled monuments within 10 km

Enclosure 1/2 mile (800m) S of Wolsty

2.7 km

Beckfoot Roman fort

4 km

Roman fortlet 40m SSW of Castle Fields

4.3 km

Romano-British farmstead 250m ENE of Belmont House

4.9 km

Bank Mill tower 15a, 250m north west of Belmont House, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast

5 km

Enclosure 105m SE of Old Mawbray

6.2 km

Enclosure 130m SSE of Old Mawbray

6.8 km

Mawbray Sandpit tower 16b, 680m WSW of Hailforth, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast

6.9 km

The ground beneath

The bedrock under Blitterlees (milefortlet 12), part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast

Blitterlees (milefortlet 12), part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast stands on Triassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Triassic. The rock here is mudstone, siltstone and sandstone.

The wider landscape

Around Blitterlees (milefortlet 12), part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast

Battle of SarkBattle (1448) · ~15.6 miles

All Scheduled Monuments