Rise How (Tower 25a) is one of the small stone watchtowers in the Cumbrian coast frontier system, the seaward continuation of Hadrian's Wall extending south-west from Bowness-on-Solway. Active from the early 2nd century into at least the mid-4th century, the tower was constructed on or beside a prehistoric round barrow on a low coastal rise near Mawbray, exploiting the existing mound for its commanding view across the Solway Firth toward Galloway. The site is unusual in combining a Bronze Age burial monument, a Roman military installation, and an early medieval kiln within the same locus, with funerary activity recorded in the vicinity.
Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →
As part of the milefortlet-and-tower system between Bowness and Risehow/Maryport, the tower contributed to the controlled surveillance of the Solway coast, intercepting movement across the firth that bypassed the western terminus of the Wall. Its reuse of a prehistoric barrow as a platform reflects a pattern seen elsewhere along the Cumbrian coast where Roman builders exploited earlier elevated landmarks.
Antiquarian and 20th-century investigation along this stretch (notably by Bellhouse) identified the tower's footprint and traces of associated burning, with the prehistoric barrow recognised beneath. Evidence for the cemetery designation appears to rest on burials reported from the barrow and adjacent ground r
Rise How (Tower 25a) is one of the small stone watchtowers in the Cumbrian coast frontier system, the seaward continuation of Hadrian's Wall extending south-west from Bowness-on-Solway. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a cemetery site from the Roman period in Britain.
Rise How tower 25a, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast including remains of prehistoric burial mound and early medieval kiln is classified as a Roman cemetery — a civilian 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 Romano-British settlement and trackway at Ewanrigg (0.8 km), Alauna/Alione (2.5 km), Roman cremation cemetery, 380m south east of Maryport Roman fort (2.5 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.
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Research the area around Rise How tower 25a, part of the Roman frontier defences along the Cumbrian coast including remains of prehistoric burial mound and early medieval kiln