Milefortlet 4 (Herd Hill) 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 4 has been located by archaeologists.
Milefortlet 4 is situated at the seaward edge of a low ridge, just north of the hamlet of Cardurnock in the civil parish of Bowness. It was located in 1945 by the finding of turfwork on Herd Hill. There is nothing to see from the ground but a geophysical survey of the site was undertaken in 1994 and the precise position of the milefortlet was located.
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 4 are known as Tower 4A (grid reference NY172594) and Tower 4B (grid reference NY17115888).
The position of Tower 4A is uncertain, although it thought to lie on the crest of a ridge with good views seaward. Tower 4B is located in a field west of Cardurnock. It was excavated by in 1977, which located three sides of the tower surviving as robber trenches: the western side having been completely eroded. The tower was interpreted as having had three phases: in the first two phases palisade structures were built, but in the third phase these were abandoned and a stone tower was built.
Historic England. "Herd Hill (milefortlet 4) (1014917)". National Heritage List for England.
Historic England. "Cardurnock (tower 4b) (1016074)". National Heritage List for England.
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
Milefortlet 4 (Herd Hill) 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.
Herd Hill (milefortlet 4) and associated parallel banks and ditches, 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 Herd Hill North (tower 3b), 175m north east of the sheep wash, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast (0.5 km), Cardurnock (tower 4b) and earlier ditch system and patrol road, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast (1.1 km), Pasture House (milefortlet 3), part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast (1.4 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 Herd Hill (milefortlet 4) and associated parallel banks and ditches, 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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