Roman Fortlet Found Under Suburban Gardens in Scotland

In a remarkable discovery that adds a new piece to the puzzle of Roman Scotland, archaeologists have unearthed the remains of a previously unknown Roman fortlet. The small fortification, part of the defensive system of the famous Antonine Wall, was found buried beneath the back gardens of several residential properties in the suburban town of Bearsden, near Glasgow. The find provides fresh insights into the construction and strategic placement of Roman defenses along their northernmost frontier in Britain.

A Fortlet Hiding in Plain Sight

The discovery was made during archaeological investigations required ahead of planned property developments in three adjoining gardens on Boclair Road, Bearsden . Initially, archaeologists from GUARD Archaeology uncovered a linear stone structure with defined edges, which they identified as the foundation for a turf rampart—a characteristic feature of Roman frontier construction. This initial finding prompted further investigation, commissioned by Historic Environment Scotland, which revealed a parallel ditch containing well-preserved organic materials, including wood fragments and peat deposits. A geophysical survey also detected what are believed to be surviving fragments of the Antonine Wall itself.

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The linear kerbed stone base discovered in the back gardens of Bearsden. (GUARD Archaeology Ltd)

Piecing Together the Roman Frontier

What makes this discovery particularly significant is the orientation of the fortlet’s remains. The stone base and its parallel ditch were found to be perpendicular to the line of the Antonine Wall, which runs through this part of Bearsden. This alignment strongly suggested that the structure was not part of the main wall but a small, attached defensive outpost. Radiocarbon dating of wood from the ditch placed it between AD 127 and 247, a period consistent with the occupation of the Antonine Wall and its immediate aftermath. Further confirmation came from two sherds of Roman pottery found beneath the stone base .

The Antonine Wall was a massive undertaking, built on the orders of the Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius around AD 142. It stretched for about 37 miles (60 km) across the narrowest part of Scotland, from the Firth of Forth to the Firth of Clyde. Unlike the more famous Hadrian's Wall to the south, the Antonine Wall was primarily a turf rampart built on a stone foundation. This frontier was only occupied for about two decades before the Romans retreated to Hadrian's Wall in the AD 160s.

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A section of the Antonine Wall near Rough Castle Fort. (James Allan / CC BY-SA 2.0)

A Strategic Outpost

The newly discovered fortlet was strategically positioned on high ground, offering its garrison commanding views of the surrounding landscape, especially to the north, which lay beyond Roman control. The site was also intervisible with the larger Roman fort at Bearsden, located nearby to the west on lower ground. This intervisibility suggests that the fortlet was an integral part of a sophisticated network of defenses. Small detachments from the larger forts would have been posted at these smaller fortlets to maintain a constant watch over the frontier.

Environmental analysis of the botanical and fossil beetle evidence from the ditch has painted a picture of the landscape at the time the fortlet was built. The area consisted of open pasture with patches of partially cleared woodland, dominated by alder, hazel, and willow, with some oak and birch. The presence of grasses in the cleared areas suggests that the land had been modified by human activity, possibly for livestock grazing by the indigenous population before the Romans arrived.

The Importance of Planning and Preservation

The discovery of the Boclair Road fortlet highlights the crucial role that the planning process plays in archaeological investigation and the preservation of our shared heritage. Without the archaeological work required as a condition of the planning consents, this important piece of Roman history would have remained hidden. The find is a testament to the value of such regulations in uncovering new sites and expanding our understanding of the past. As Maureen C. Kilpatrick, the author of the GUARD Archaeology report, and her colleagues conclude, the remains discovered in the back gardens of Boclair Road are undoubtedly an integral part of the Antonine Wall's defensive system, representing a previously unknown Roman fortlet .

Top image: Reconstruction of the Boclair Road Roman fortlet. Source: Eduardo Pérez-Fernández / GUARD Archaeology Ltd

By Gary Manners

References

Milligan, M. 2026. Roman fortlet from the Antonine Wall discovered beneath residential gardens. Available at: https://www.heritagedaily.com/2026/03/roman-fortlet-from-the-antonine-wall-discovered-beneath-residential-gardens/157353

Carvajal, G. 2026. A previously unknown Roman fortlet of the Antonine Wall discovered in the back gardens of homes in Scotland. Available at: https://www.labrujulaverde.com/en/2026/03/a-previously-unknown-roman-fortlet-of-the-antonine-wall-discovered-in-the-back-gardens-of-homes-in-scotland/

GUARD Archaeology. 2026. Roman Antonine Wall Fortlet discovered in back gardens of Bearsden. Available at: https://www.guard-archaeology.co.uk/GALNews/

Kilpatrick, M. C. 2026. ARO65: Discovery of an Antonine Wall Roman Fortlet at Boclair Road, Bearsden. Available at: https://archaeologyreportsonline.com/reports/2026/ARO65.html