Old Burrow Roman Fortlet

Fortlet

There is evidence of a small Roman fortlet or lookout post located at Old Burrow, Countisbury, near the Devon/Somerset border. This fortlet, along with others further west along the coast at Martinhoe in Devon, and at Morwenstow and St. Gennys in Cornwall, is believed to date from the early invasion period before the Roman conquest of Wales. These fortlets were evidently constructed to monitor coastal traffic in the Bristol Channel closely.

Old Burrow is spectacularly situated on high ground overlooking the Bristol Channel. It can be accessed by following a signpost and climbing from the South West Coast Path or by parking at County Gates and walking alongside the A39. This site is one of the best-preserved turf-built fortlets in Britain, featuring visible earthworks with two concentric enclosures. The inner enclosure is a round-cornered rectangle formed from two banks, measuring 87 x 93 feet (27 x 28 metres), with an entrance on the northern side. The outer bank is more rounded, formed from a single bank, 295 feet (90 metres) in diameter, with a metalled entrance on its south-west side.

Excavations in 1911 and the 1960s indicated that the fortlet was occupied for a short period in the mid-first century, likely by auxiliaries supporting the Second Legion Augusta at Exeter. Evidence of post-holes suggests that accommodation was in tents, and the remains of a large clay field oven behind the southern rampart indicate catering arrangements. The oven had been repaired at least once, suggesting the garrison was present for more than one season. This fortlet may have predated Martinhoe Beacon but was more likely contemporary, both serving to monitor access points to Exmoor from the Bristol Channel, particularly Porlock Bay.