It has often been claimed that the Roman fortlet was called Uzella and was shown on a map produced by Ptolemy in the first century. This, unfortunately, seems to be a myth, deriving from a misreading of Ptolemy’s map.
The place that Ptolemy called Ουξελλα is accurately translated as Uxella, a word that means ‘high fort’. It is the word used for any Roman fort or fortlet sited on a high hill. Ptolemy was, however, locating an important centre of power and trade for the Dumnonii tribe of Devon and Cornwall. He lists the four polis of the Dumnonii as Isca (Exeter), Tamara (Plymouth), Uxella, and Voliba. All of these would have been fairly substantial pre-Roman chiefdom centres. Lostwithiel would not qualify for that, as we have no evidence of significant Bronze Age settlement here. Ptolemy's map is lacking in detail and does even show the River Fowey. It does, however, locate Uxella on the Western side of the River Tamar, and at a more northerly position than Plymouth. This has led recent commentators to suggest that the large and important Roman bases at Calstock or Launceston are the most likely candidates to be Uxella. Voliba has not been identified, though it may be Falmouth.
In conclusion, it does seem likely that the Roman fortlet in Lostwithiel was referred to as a uxella, but it was probably not the Uxella of Ptolemy. It was simply one of the small number of high forts in Cornwall. Folk memory in Lostwithiel may correctly have remembered the high fort called Uxella (but remembered it as Uzella) and misidentified this with the Uxella mentioned by Ptolemy.
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