Roman BritainMilecastle 75 (Easton)
Roman Fortlet · Military

Milecastle 75 (Easton)

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: 967060414
Site type
Fortlet
Category
Military
Latitude
54.9276
Longitude
-3.1244
Overview

History & context

Milecastle 75 (Easton) was a small fortlet on Hadrian's Wall near the western terminus, situated between Milecastles 74 and 76 on the stretch running toward Bowness-on-Solway. Like other milecastles, it was built in the early 120s AD under Hadrian and would have garrisoned a small detachment (typically 8–32 auxiliary soldiers) controlling movement through a gate in the Wall; it remained in use, with periods of refurbishment, into the later 4th century. In this western sector the Wall was originally built in turf rather than stone, so MC 75 was almost certainly a turf-and-timber structure later rebuilt in stone.

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

Significance

Historical significance

Its significance lies in its position on the Solway sector, where the Wall's purpose shifted toward monitoring estuarine crossings and traffic from the fordable Solway Firth — a frontier of surveillance and customs control rather than heavy military confrontation. It formed part of the integrated chain of milecastles, turrets and the outlying coastal system extending down the Cumbrian shore.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

Very little has been recovered from Milecastle 75 itself; its location is broadly identified from spacing along the Wall line near Easton, but no substantive modern excavation has clarified its plan, internal buildings, or finds assemblage. As with several western milecastles where the Turf Wall ran, surface traces are slight and knowledge depends largely on inference from better-investigated

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Milecastle 75 (Easton)?

Milecastle 75 (Easton) was a small fortlet on Hadrian's Wall near the western terminus, situated between Milecastles 74 and 76 on the stretch running toward Bowness-on-Solway. 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 75 (Easton)?

Milecastle 75 (Easton) 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 75 (Easton)?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Turret 74B (0.5 km), Turret 74A (1 km), Milecastle 76 (Drumburgh) (1.4 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 75 (Easton)?

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