PROGRAMME 1:
ROME IN THE LAKES
THE LAKE DISTRICT
Introduction
Tony treads in the footsteps of historical giants during this four day walk across the Lake District. A
paradise destination for walkers, we unearth a surprising imprint left by the Romans on this wild,
northern-most frontier of their empire. Crossing the Lakes, he discovers the story of how – almost 2000
years ago – the Romans conquered the different British tribes of the North West. Remaining for over
400 years they left an indelible mark on this breathtaking landscape.
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Walking Through History
Day 1.
We begin this 46 mile trek at Penrith – the gateway to the Lakes – passing an
intriguing mix of Roman and ancient remains on our hunt to explain just how the
Romans managed to conquer this inhospitable landscape.
 Penrith to Howtown via Brougham Castle and High Street Roman Road
Distance: 14 miles
Day 2.
We begin with a leisurely ferry trip across Ullswater Lake before exploring the mineral
wealth that may explain why the Romans were willing to invest so much in this rugged
terrain.
 Howtown to Ambleside via Glenridding, Hartsop Hall Mine and Ambleside
Fort. Distance: 16.5 miles
Day 3.
We puff our way west through woodland and a spectacular Roman police station as we
investigate how they interacted with the local population.
 Ambleside to Boot via Colwith Force, Wrynose Pass and Hardknott Fort.
Distance 15 miles
Day 4.
On the final day we take ‘The Ratty’ towards Muncaster, engage in a little foraging,
and end up at an incredible surviving monument, at Ravenglass on the west coast, as
we reflect on the enduring legacy of Romano-Britain.
 Boot to Ravenglass, via Irton Road, Muncaster Castle and Ravenglass Roman
Bath House. Distance 8 miles
Please use OS Explorer Maps OL5, OL6, OL7 (1:25k) or OS Landranger 90, 89, 96 (1:50k). All distances are
approx..
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Walking Through History
Day 1 - Places of Interest
Penrith to Howtown via:
Brougham Castle, Pooley Bridge
and High Street Roman Road
Distance: 14 miles
Our walk begins at Penrith, just northeast of the Lake District National Park, where the M6 meets
the A66. From the centre of town walk south on Middlegate past the clock tower and market square
then head south east on Roper Street towards Carleton. Roper Street turns into Carleton Road.
Follow this all the way - crossing the A686 - until the road ends and turns into a footpath.
At this point the path runs alongside the A66 – what was once the Roman road to Carlisle - before crossing it
via an underpass. When the modern A66 was being built in 1964 a Roman milestone was discovered. The path
joins a small road; follow this round to Brougham Castle – run by English Heritage - where the milestone and
a number of other clues to the Roman presence here are held.
Brougham Castle
The milestone found by the A66, can be found at the
shop entrance. It was dedicated in the 3rd century AD
to the Emperor Caesar Marcus Cassianus Latinius
Postumus Augustus Pius Felix. A bit of a mouthful!
This typical medieval castle appears to have little
relevance to the Romans. Indeed it is a 13th century
defence built to protect the area against attacks from
the Scots.
But climb the winding steps and you’ll find a Roman
headstone - 1000 years older than the castle - that
reads: ‘Dedicated to Marcus Tittius, (son) of Marcus
[...], who lived for thirty-two years or thereabouts.
Marcus [...] his brother, erected this memorial.’ This
headstone alludes to the fact that when building the
castle they reused old stone and it was plentiful
because this was the site of a Roman fort known as
Brocavum.
There is little to see of Brocavum Fort now though from the tower you can see the raised banks and
outline of the fort in the field next door. Evidence suggests it may have housed legionnaires and
cavalrymen from Turkey, Hungary and Portugal and whilst the fort dates from the 3rd century AD there
is widely believed to be an earlier fort as yet undiscovered in the area.
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Walking Through History
Brougham lies at a key crossroad today but this was also a key juncture in Roman and even pre-Roman
times. The Romans actually began to settle Britain in AD 43 during the reign of Claudius but Brougham
is where generals Agricola and Cerialis are believed by many to have met around AD 71 as they pushed
northwards towards Scotland.
Agricola marched up with his legion from the west via Chester and Cerialis stormed forth from the east
via York. With a combined force of 11,000 men it must’ve been an awe-inspiring sight for the locals. By
AD 122 Hadrian was consolidating his position and building his famous wall. He is also the only Emperor
we know to have actually visited the region.
Roads are synonymous with Roman engineering and they were vital to their conquest. Each new stretch
cemented their position within the territory and we’re off to find one that takes us to the heart of the
Lakes. From the castle take the path that runs along the opposite bank of the river to Eamont Bridge.
When the river hits the A6, turn left and follow the road down to the roundabout. Turn right on the B5320
and after a few hundred yards you’ll see a huge standing stone on a green by the side of the road. Turn right
again and follow this road round to the spectacular Mayburgh Henge, cared for by English Heritage.
Mayburgh Henge
A huge stone stands at the centre of this large and impressive pre-historic
henge, much better preserved than neighbouring King Arthur's Round
Table. Its banks stand up to 10 feet high, and unusually are constructed of
pebbles collected from the nearby river. Axes found in the vicinity suggest
this amphitheatre-like earthwork dates from the Neolithic or Bronze Age
and according to old drawings the Romans would have seen four more
stones that have since been removed from the entranceway.
All the evidence suggests the Romans were exploiting what was already an
important juncture and well trodden ancient route.
Follow the road round and under the M6 then follow the marked footpath through Yanwath and
Sockbridge before rejoining the B5320 as it brings you into Pooley Bridge. From Pooley bridge pier
at the head of Ullswater take advantage of the spectacular views across the lake. On your right
there is a large forested hill that is in fact an iron-age hill fort - perhaps a power base for the local tribe –
the Carvetii. To your left high above the lake is the Roman High Street and that’s our next destination.
Go back up the A5320 until you come to a roundabout with a church on the corner and turn right on ‘High
Street’. Follow it straight all the way to Roehead Farm where the gate signifies the start of a gentle
ascent up towards an inclining plateau that you’ll see in the distance.
Follow the marked footpath up to ‘The Cockpit’ stone circle and soak up the views of the lake. Looking
back you can see the path of the roman road from Penrith and looking ahead it runs almost dead straight
along a wide plateau to Loadpot Hill. Give yourself a good few hours to complete this walk using the path
past Loadpot Hill and back down through Fusedale Valley to Howtown – where a rest is in order.
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Walking Through History
High Street Roman Road
Roman surveyors decided to take advantage of the gentle slopes and high summit plateaus that
characterize these fells rather than build them through the valleys, which were heavily forested and
marshy making them susceptible to ambush.
In these parts, High Street actually refers to the fell, which at
828 metres (2,718 ft) is the highest point in the far eastern
part of the national park. The fell is named after the Roman
road, which crosses the fell on its journey between the forts
at Brougham (Brocavum) and Ambleside.
Whilst the road is not the most visually impressive – it’s not very
wide or cobbled - the Romans adapted skillfully to the
environment and the techniques they used are in fact the very
same used for path repair in the Lake District today. Even at this
height the area is extremely boggy so they dug out a mix of mud and fine gravel - known locally as
‘pinnel’ - from the sides and piled it in the middle leaving drainage ditches either side. Due to glacial
activity this pinnel is easily accessible near the surface. When compacted and dried out it forms an
extremely solid raised platform or ‘camber’ and the rain drains off into the ditches.
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Walking Through History
Day 2 – Places of Interest
Howtown to Ambleside:
via Glenridding, Brotherswater,
Hartsop Hall Mine,
the Kirkstone Pass Inn and
Ambleside Fort
Distance 16.5 miles
Leaving Howtown for Glenridding via the ferry we make our way down to Howtown Ullswater ferry
Landing. The trip takes 35-40 minutes and there are guides on board to point out Sandwick Bay
where legend has it a Roman legion disappeared without trace as well as other interesting sites with
links to poet William Wordsworth and speed king Donald Campbell among others.
From Glenridding pier follow the path along the lake round until the path meets and runs alongside the
A592. Continue through Patterdale to Cow Bridge. Here we continue straight along the marked footpath
past Brotherswater, a beautiful and peaceful lake full of wildlife. If you follow the marked footpath past
Hartsop Hall - a 16th Century Grade I listed building of great historical significance owned by the National
Trust – you can see the remnants of a 17th century lead mine on your right.
A steep but short climb takes you up to an open entrance in the hillside. Please note you should not enter
the mine unless you’re with an official guide. On the OS Map just south west of ‘Harsop Hall’ you can see
it labelled as ‘Mine (dis)’ and some of the building remains are also marked.
Hartsop Hall Mine
This disused lead mine is typical of many in the area.
The buildings on the hillside below the mine are the
remains of a 17th century processing plant – the lead
was mined from veins in the rock, brought to here,
washed and broken up to extract the lead itself.
Then of course you could also extract the silver –
though it was painstaking work - getting only 16
ounces of silver from a ton of lead ore.
When the Romans first made headway into Britain
under Emperor Claudius, the historian Strabo tells us
the Island had an abundance of resources; it was
agriculturally fertile and more importantly had
silver, gold, lead and tin. And whilst there is no
evidence of roman mining left here – which given
these mines have been plundered for centuries since
is hardly surprising – their use of lead in plumbing
and silver for coins makes it highly likely.
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Walking Through History
Retrace your steps back to Hartsop Hall and just short of the cottage take a path branching off to the
right over a small footbridge and across a field with a large stone circle in the far corner. More evidence
of ancient settlements. Head to the low road that runs alongside Kirkstone Beck and follows the route
of the A592 or Kirkstone Pass.
This takes us due south and parallel to the Roman High Street high up on the fells to the east. The long and
gradual ascent ends with a well deserved drink at the Kirkstone Pass Inn. At 1500 feet the Inn is the highest
inhabited building in Cumbria and has been replenishing travellers on their way for over 500 years. Admire the
views and tremble at the prospect of the next leg of the walk down ‘The Struggle’. An annual car pulling race
up this road provides quite a spectacle.
The road reaches a gradient of 1 in 4 in places but brings us down into our final destination, Ambleside.
Please note this is a narrow road for vehicles. There are footpaths that head into Ambleside if you would
rather avoid this road.
Beatrix Potter
Ambleside lies right at the core of the Lakes at the top of England’s largest Lake, Windermere. It’s not
only a tourist hub, it’s also a place filled with material relating to Beatrix Potter, who lived and set all
her books in the Lakes. What you probably didn’t realize is that she was also quite keen on the Romans
– drawing archaeological finds that she brought to the Armitt Museum in Ambleside during its opening
exhibition in 1936. And what she didn’t know, because its only recently been confirmed, was that her
precious Peter Rabbit and Benjamin Bunny were introduced to Britain by the Romans.
We make our way through town to Borrans Park at Waterhead. Follow the A593 from the bottom of the
Struggle until you reach a fork of which the left hand branch – the A5075 – heads due south and brings us
alongside the park. The remains of the fort are in this park with access through a swing gate. Please note
it is not well sign posted and cows roam the field outside the fenced off remains.
Ambleside Roman Fort – ‘Galava’
The High Street runs right into Ambleside or ‘Galava’ Fort.
Archaeologists have discovered an early fort from around 90 AD.
Small with an irregular profile it was about holding ground and
securing land taken. The second larger one is a classic Hadrianic
fort built to observe, administer and control the centre of this
difficult terrain.
As with his famous wall Hadrian was leading a period of
consolidation
realizing
that they could no longer
continue
their
push
northwards
without
leaving themselves stretched and vulnerable to rebellion. At the
head of Windermere with a position of high relief, it clearly
demonstrates the importance of water transport. It’s a very long
lake so would also have proved a fast and efficient means of
communication in such mountainous territory. Furthermore, the
granary buildings are twice the size of those expected and found
elsewhere suggesting this fort was a distribution centre and had
a large civilian settlement attached.
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Walking Through History
With its position by the lake - exactly half way between Brougham and Ravenglass on the coast, this
makes perfect sense.
The fort is also the scene of a highly unusual find. An inscription states that a ‘Flavius Romanus’ was
murdered by an enemy inside the camp. It’s very unusual to find the Romans admitting to such a thing
and is believed to relate to a period of civil war in the mid-3rd century. He was the clerk so would have
had control of the fort’s treasury. Look now and you can still see the strong room – significantly deeper
than the other rooms and with an extra wall – where Flavius probably died trying to protect their
treasure.
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Walking Through History
Day 3 – Places of Interest
Ambleside to Boot via:
Colwith Force, Wrynose Pass and Hardknott Fort. Distance 15 miles
From Ambleside we now follow the Roman road on its course west to the coast, retracing our steps
north along the A5075 until we can head west along the A593 following the route of the River Brathay.
The footpath generally runs alongside the road until just beyond Skelwith Bridge when we join the
marked national trail towards Colwith. The path briefly connects and crosses the road but follow the
National Trust sign to Colwith Force along a short branch that follows the river.
Colwith Force
Enjoy this beautiful setting with the waterfall on the River Brathay amongst
thick woodland. Given most of the Lakes area would have been thickly
forested 2000 years ago you get a real sense of how difficult it must have
been for the Romans to marshal this terrain. After all they were the masters
of set piece battles but here the potential for guerilla tactics and the threat
of ambush was very real.
Rejoin the national trail heading west through Langdale towards Bridge End and Fell Foot Bridge. As we
leave the wooded valleys to the bottom of Wrynose Pass the mountainous ascent to Hardknott is visible
up ahead.
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Walking Through History
Wrynose Pass
At the bottom of Wrynose is Fell Foot Farm, a 17th century,
Grade II listed National Trust property. Wrynose is part of the
old Roman road known as the 10th iter and served the troops
stationed at Hardknott Fort. Sections of the old road remain
running alongside the present one. The unusual name,
Wrynose, comes from ‘pass of the stallion’ and referred to the
need for a powerful and well-muscled horse to cope with the
steep gradients of up to 1 in 3. Indeed, it vies with one other
road in Yorkshire for the title of steepest road in England.
Before joining this winding ascent take a moment to pop through the kissing gate by the corner of the road
just past Fell Foot Farm and you’ll see a National Trust sign for ‘Ting Mound’.
Ting Mound
It is just a small mound to look at now but this Ting Mound or ‘Thing Moot’ was an outside meeting
place for courts and bodies responsible for the administration of the countryside during the Viking
period. With evidence of terracing the mound was deliberately placed right by the Roman road to
provide easy access from the south and east via Ambleside and the west from Ravenglass.
Follow Wrynose Pass to Cockley Beck where the road becomes Hardknott Pass. By Cockley Beck
Bridge follow the course of the roman road, which branches off on a dead straight line towards Black
Hall. Here we follow the slightly circuitous but stunning route back round to Hardknott Pass rejoining
between Peathill Crag and Raven Crag.
Make sure you take an occasional moment to savour the stunning views back down the valley. You’ll need
the occasional rest anyway! A little further up the pass a footpath branches off to the right at a sharp bend.
This path brings us over the brow to the parade ground at the back of Hardknott Fort, which gives the
impression of a police station looking down over its subjects with incredible panoramic views up and down
the valley all the way to the coast.
Hardknott Roman Fort – ‘Mediobodgdum’
The only mountain fort in Britain, Hardknott offers truly
remarkable panoramic views of the surrounding area. With walls
up to 10 feet in places and one of the best surviving examples of
a Roman parade ground in Western Europe, it has a monument
quality to it that many Roman forts lack.
Hardknott or Mediobodgdum’s purpose appears to have been to
control the top of the road half way between Ambleside and
Ravenglass and to police the area. An inscription found nearby
states “For the Emperor Caesar Trajan Hadrian Augustus, son of
Nerva, pontifex maximus...thrice consul, under ..., the emperor’s propraetorian governor, the Fourth
Cohort of Dematians (set this up).” So we know this is a Hadrianic Fort and the fourth cohort of
‘Dematians’ – from the region which today covers Albania, Croatia, Serbia and Montenegro – were in
Britain between AD103 and 122 suggesting it was built early in Hadrian’s reign shortly before work
began on the wall.
Follow Hardknott Pass down into the Eskdale Valley and the village of Boot for a well earned rest and
the end of Day 3.
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Walking Through History
Day 4 – Places of Interest
Boot to Ravenglass via:
‘The Ratty’, Muncaster Castle
and Ravenglass Roman Bath House
Distance 8 miles.
From Boot we take a short stroll down to Dalegarth Station. After a strenuous walk over Hardknott
yesterday we deserve a gentle start and take the steam train to Irton Road station.
The Ratty – Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway
This winding railway for narrow gauge steam engines is one
of the area’s leading tourist attractions but when it was
first introduced in 1875 its purpose was to transport iron
ore mined from mines in the hills around Boot.
From Irton Road station walk up to the bridge and head south towards Muncaster Head. The road ends
at Forest How continuing as a footpath. Swing round to the right at Muncaster Head farm heading west
along the south side of woodland and Muncaster Fell.
Further along, near Birks Coppice, a little foraging will unearth the remains of roman kilns. Set back from
the path you’ll find an English heritage sign marking the area as a scheduled ancient monument. Continue
west until the footpath joins the A595 and brings you into Muncaster Castle.
Muncaster Castle
Muncaster is a rare Roman name amongst a plethora of
Viking names in this area. ‘Mun’ comes from the ancient
word Meol or low lying – hence the valley but the ‘Caster’
or ‘Castra’ means castle or fort. Here at the heart of the
wood lies Muncaster Castle. Like Brougham Castle, it is a
medieval fortification though unlike those previous ruins,
Muncaster is still lived in by its original family, the
Penningtons. And it was the Penningtons who were
responsible for organizing the first archaeological
investigation of Hardknott.
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Walking Through History
Whilst there is no irrefutable evidence that this was a Roman site, ignoring the Victorian extensions,
it’s the same shape and size as a standard Roman fort and some believe it was a fort or lookout tower.
Further support lies in the fact that when the family were renovating the Pele Tower in the 19th
century they found a Roman gold coin (solidus) in the foundations. Today the castle hosts the World
Owl Centre – one of the largest collections of owls in the world - and phenomenally varied and
picturesque gardens described by John Ruskin as the ‘Gateway to Paradise’.
Follow the footpath from the back of the estate through Dovecote Wood to Newtown. Before
heading right towards the Roman bath house turn left and climb Newtown Knott for fantastic
panoramic views up and down the coast, over to Ravenglass and across the Esk Valley toward Scafell
Pike, England’s highest mountain.
Make your way back past Newtown and through Walls to Walls Castle Roman Bath House. You’ll pass an
area of green grass on your left. This is Glannoventa Roman Fort and though there’s little to see now, tiles
have been matched to those found at the Kilns near Muncaster Head, and remains of a 1st century fort
found though not yet excavated.
Walls Castle Roman Bath House
This is one of the best preserved Roman monuments in
the country. Experts believe this bathhouse served not
only soldiers but a large community and excavations are
under way in an area where a large civilian settlement
or ‘vicus’ – may well have developed as a result of the
port.
A key part of life – for cleanliness as well as health and
relaxation – the bath house shows that those outside
the fort embraced Roman life and culture. This is a far
flung frontier right at the end of the empire but still
they’re living the Roman way.
This is supported by a soldier’s diploma found by the fort, which states that he came here from Syria,
settled down and married a local girl. And since we know from inscriptions that the locals - the Carvetii
- thought of themselves as Romans, this port town became a highly cosmopolitan society. The evidence
suggests a high level of integration.
We walk back round the fort remains to Walls Bridge and along the sea front. You can see what was
once the fort disappearing into the sea. Walk along the beach towards Ravenglass village and you can
also see the naturally protected harbour at the confluence of three rivers that would have provided the
Romans with quick and easy transport and communication inland. Here at the only coastal village in the
Lake District we conclude our 4 day hike.