Milefortlet 9

Milefortlet 9 (Skinburness) was a Milefortlet of the Roman Cumbrian Coast defences. These milefortlets and intervening stone watchtowers extended from the western end of Hadrian's Wall, along the Cumbrian coast and were linked by a wooden palisade. They were contemporary with defensive structures on Hadrian's Wall. There is little to see on the ground but Milefortlet 9 has been located on aerial photographs.

Milefortlet 9 is situated in a field northeast of the village of Skinburness, in the civil parish of Silloth.^[1] The outline of the milefortlet was seen on aerial photographs in 1949.^[1] These show that the fortlet has external dimensions of approximately 65 metres by 61 metres with traces of a possible outer ditch.^[1] Various pits, ditches and maculae are visible close to this fortlet as cropmarks on air photographs, but it is not clear if any relate to it.^[2] A portion of an inscribed Roman altar, dedicated to the Matres was found in the summer of 1866 lying on the seashore close to this site, and is now in the British Museum.^[3]

The coastline to the north is interrupted by Moricambe Bay, and the next known fort is Milefortlet 5. Milefortlets 8, 7 and 6 were once thought to have been eroded by Moricambe, but there is in fact no evidence that the sites ever existed,^[4] and the system to the north is believed to begin again with Milefortlet 5.^[5]

كان لكل حصن صغير برجان ملحقان به، يشبهان في بنائهما الأبراج المبنية على طول سور هادريان. وُضِعَ هذان البرجان على بُعد ثلث وثلثي ميل روماني تقريبًا إلى الغرب من الحصن الصغير، وكانا على الأرجح مُؤَسَّسين من قِبَل جزء من حامية الحصن الصغير الأقرب. يُعرف البرجان المرتبطان بالحصن الصغير رقم 9 باسم البرج 9أ ( إحداثيات الشبكة NY12605583 ) والبرج 9ب ( إحداثيات الشبكة NY12255552 ). ^{[ 6 ] [ 7 ]} موقعا البرجين غير مؤكدين، وقد تم تقديرهما عن طريق القياس بالنسبة إلى التحصينات الرومانية المجاورة على الحدود. وقد بُني على كلا الموقعين. ^{[ 6 ] [ 7 ]}

• هيئة التراث الإنجليزي . "سكينبرنيس (قلعة ميلية 9) (1015414)" . قائمة التراث الوطني لإنجلترا .