Roman Fortlet

Martinhoe, Devon

NGRef: SS6649 OSMap: LR180 Type: Fortlet
Roads
None

This small, square fortlet situated on cliffs overlooking Heddon's Mouth on the north Devon coast measured about 82 x 79 feet (c.25 x 24m) and covered an area of 720 square yards or 23¾ roods (600m²). The interior of the fort was taken up by three barrack blocks, two measuring about 50 x 12 feet (c.15 x 3.6m) with officers suites 17¼ feet (c.5.3m) square in one barrack and 20½ feet (c.6.3m) square in the other; the third block was much smaller at only 20 x 10 feet (c.6.3 x 3m) with no officer's quarters.

There is another, similar fortlet about 8 miles further east along the coast at Old Burrow, and other suspected fortlets further west at Morwenstow and St. Gennys in Cornwall.

See: Britannia V (1974) p.150 table.IV, for a comparison of Roman fortlets in Britain and Germany
also Roman Britain and the Roman Navy by David J.F. Mason (Tempus, Stroud, 2003) fig.30 and accompanying text.

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