Roman BritainMilecastle 73 (Dykesfield)
Roman Fortlet · Military

Milecastle 73 (Dykesfield)

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: 967060416
Site type
Fortlet
Category
Military
Latitude
54.9245
Longitude
-3.0792
Overview

History & context

Milecastle 73 (Dykesfield) was one of a series of Milecastles or small fortlets built at intervals of approximately one Roman mile along Hadrian's Wall (grid reference NY30975937).

Milecastle 73 is about a mile west of the village of Burgh by Sands. There are no visible remains above ground.

Milecastle 73 was located and partially excavated in 1948. It measured 19.2 metres north-south by 18.7 metres east-west internally. The walls were 2 metres thick.

The milecastle was located again in a geophysical survey. It measured 24.75 metres north-south and 26 metres east-west externally. The survey identified a possible road at the milecastle, and two neighbouring enclosures built onto each of the east and west walls of the milecastle, with a further one built to the west of the western enclosure. Some evidence of buildings and divisions were seen in both western enclosures.

Each milecastle on Hadrian's Wall had two associated turret structures. These turrets were positioned approximately one-third and two-thirds of a Roman mile to the west of the Milecastle, and would probably have been manned by part of the milecastle's garrison. The turrets associated with Milecastle 73 are known as Turret 73A (grid reference NY30505952) and Turret 73B (grid reference NY30025961). The exact locations of the turrets have not been found. Both sites fall within Burgh Marsh where there is no evidence for any Wall structures.

Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Milecastle 73 (Dykesfield)?

Milecastle 73 (Dykesfield) was one of a series of Milecastles or small fortlets built at intervals of approximately one Roman mile along Hadrian's Wall (grid reference NY30975937). Milecastle 73 is about a mile west of the village of Burgh by Sands. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a fortlet site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Milecastle 73 (Dykesfield)?

Milecastle 73 (Dykesfield) 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.

What other Roman sites are near Milecastle 73 (Dykesfield)?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Turret 73A (0.4 km), Turret 72B (Rindle Hill) (0.5 km), Turret 73B (0.9 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.

How can I research the history of the area around Milecastle 73 (Dykesfield)?

Aubrey Research generates detailed historical reports for any location in Britain, incorporating Roman heritage, Domesday Book records, scheduled monument data, archaeological finds and much more. Enter a nearby address to begin.

Unlimited access

Everything a full report reveals about Milecastle 73 (Dykesfield)

This page covers the Roman site at Milecastle 73 (Dykesfield). A full Aubrey report for the area pulls together this site alongside scheduled monuments and everything else the record holds within a few miles:

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.
First month just £4.99, then £9.99 a month. Unlimited locations, cancel anytime.

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 Milecastle 73 (Dykesfield) report
Or see a real report first
Aubrey Research

Generate a full report for this location

Aubrey generates in-depth historical research for any address in Britain, drawing on Roman heritage, Domesday records, scheduled monument data and medieval history to reveal the complete story of a landscape.

Research the area around Milecastle 73 (Dykesfield)