Milecastle 48, known as Poltross Burn, is one of the best-preserved milecastles on Hadrian's Wall, situated on the steep bank above the Poltross Burn just east of Gilsland, Cumbria. Built in the 120s AD under Hadrian and occupied into the late 4th century with phases of refurbishment, it is a "long-axis" milecastle of stone construction, measuring roughly 21 by 18 m internally, and is unusual in preserving substantial remains of two internal barrack blocks and the lower courses of a stairway up to the rampart walk.
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
As a Hadrianic fortlet garrisoned by a detachment (likely 8–32 men, probably drawn from the auxiliary cohort at nearby Magna/Carvoran or Birdoswald), it controlled a gated crossing of the Wall and a minor north–south route, while the stair remains provide the clearest physical evidence anywhere on the Wall for the height and access arrangements of the curtain. Its excellent preservation has made it a key type-site in understanding milecastle design.
Excavated by Gibson and Simpson in 1909–1911, the site revealed two opposed barrack blocks, an oven in the north-west corner, a hearth, and the famous stair base, alongside pottery, coins and small finds indicating occupation through the 2nd to 4th centuries with structural alterations. Subsequent consolidation and limited later invest
Milecastle 48, known as Poltross Burn, is one of the best-preserved milecastles on Hadrian's Wall, situated on the steep bank above the Poltross Burn just east of Gilsland, Cumbria. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a fortlet site from the Roman period in Britain.
Milecastle 48 (Poltross Burn) 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 Throp Roman fortlet (0.4 km), Turret 48A (Willowford East) (0.4 km), Turret 47B (Gap) (0.5 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.
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