Milefortlet 17 (Dubmill Point) 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 except a slight depression in the ground, but Milefortlet 17 has been located and surveyed.
Milefortlet 17 is situated at Dubmill Point, southwest of the village of Mawbray in the civil parish of Holme St Cuthbert. All that remains to be seen on the ground is a slight depression defining the ditch on the east and south sides.
The fortlet was thought to have been lost to coastal erosion, but was located on aerial photographs in 1977. Limited excavations were conducted in 1983, although the only finds were some pottery and nails. A geophysical survey was carried out in 1994 which showed the precise position of the milefortlet, surrounded on three sides by a ditch, with the fourth west side now being overlaid by the modern road.
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 17 are known as Tower 17A (grid reference NY078451) and Tower 17B (grid reference NY075446). The locations of both towers are uncertain, and their positions have been estimated by measurement to adjoining Roman frontier works. It is possible that coastal erosion has destroyed one or both sites.
Historic England. "Dubmill Point milefortlet 17 (1014803)". National Heritage List for England.
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
Milefortlet 17 (Dubmill Point) was a Milefortlet of the Roman Cumbrian Coast defences. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a fortlet site from the Roman period in Britain.
Dubmill Point milefortlet 17, 560m WNW of Hill House, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast is classified as a Roman fortlet — a military site in the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer. Roman Britain's archaeology encompasses thousands of sites ranging from legionary fortresses and marching camps to villas, temples and towns.
Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Coastal Tower 16b (Old Mawbray) (0.5 km), Bank Mill tower 15a, 250m north west of Belmont House, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast (2.4 km), Romano-British farmstead 250m ENE of Belmont House (2.6 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.
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This page covers the Roman site at Dubmill Point milefortlet 17, 560m WNW of Hill House, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast. A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this site alongside scheduled monuments and everything else the record holds within a few miles:
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Research the area around Dubmill Point milefortlet 17, 560m WNW of Hill House, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast