Scheduled MonumentsEnglandCardurnock (tower 4b) and earlier ditch system and patrol road, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast

Cardurnock (tower 4b) and earlier ditch system and patrol road, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast

England
List entry 1016074
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1016074
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.53 hectares
Grid reference
NY 17114 58829
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

Cardurnock Tower 4b is a Roman coastal fortification forming part of the frontier defence system along the Cumbrian coast, constructed during the second century AD as an element of the broader military infrastructure protecting Roman Britain's northern territories. The tower operated in conjunction with an earlier ditch system and associated patrol road that facilitated surveillance and movement along this strategically significant littoral zone. The monument represents the practical application of Roman military engineering adapted to coastal conditions, with the tower and its supporting earthworks serving both defensive and logistical functions within the wider network of Hadrianic and post-Hadrianic installations. The site's preservation has allowed archaeologists to trace the evolution of Roman frontier strategy along the Solway Firth, demonstrating how defences were adjusted and reinforced across successive periods of occupation.

Cardurnock (tower 4b) and earlier ditch system and patrol road, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1016074. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is Cardurnock (tower 4b) and earlier ditch system and patrol road, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast?

Cardurnock Tower 4b is a Roman coastal fortification forming part of the frontier defence system along the Cumbrian coast, constructed during the second century AD as an element of the broader military infrastructure protecting Roman Britain's northern territories. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1016074.

Who is responsible for protecting Cardurnock (tower 4b) and earlier ditch system and patrol road, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast?

Cardurnock (tower 4b) and earlier ditch system and patrol road, 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 1016074.

What other scheduled monuments are near Cardurnock (tower 4b) and earlier ditch system and patrol road, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Cardurnock milefortlet (Mf 5) (0.4 km), Cardurnock Marsh turret 4a (0.6 km), Herd Hill (milefortlet 4) and associated parallel banks and ditches, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast (1.1 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about Cardurnock (tower 4b) and earlier ditch system and patrol road, 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 Cardurnock (tower 4b) and earlier ditch system and patrol road, 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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The ground beneath

The bedrock under Cardurnock (tower 4b) and earlier ditch system and patrol road, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast

Cardurnock (tower 4b) and earlier ditch system and patrol road, 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 Cardurnock (tower 4b) and earlier ditch system and patrol road, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast

Battle of SarkBattle (1448) · ~10.1 milesBattle of Solway Moss 1542Battle (1542) · ~14.1 miles