Many Years ago I attended a meeting at Keswick Methodist Church where the Lake District National Park archaeologist was giving a lecture entitled “Roman influence in Keswick and the Lake District.” This, I thought, sounded very interesting. Locals have always felt that the Romans once occupied the Keswick area and my Farther used to tell me as a small boy that they would have visited Castlerigg due to road alignments (dismissed by some) from Troutbect to Castlerigg, however no definitive proof of their presence had ever been found. It was therefore quite a disappointment when the speakers opening remarks were that the Romans never had a settlement around Keswick as there would have been conclusive evidence found by now. I left the meeting feeling somewhat deflated and a little misled by the title of the lecture.
It was therefore quite a surprise when one wet morning last August I received a call from Mark Cockbain of Rakefoot Farm who exclaimed. “They’ve found a Roman Fort! Here at Castlerigg adjacent to the Stone Circle.”
I lowped (Cumbrian dialect for jumped) into the car and drove over to the site where archaeologist Mark Graham and a team of volunteers funded by the Bassenthwaite Reflection programme were conducting a survey with magnetometer instruments. Mark showed me the Geophysics scan. Clearly defined was the outline of a large square.
Mark explained that it was undoubtedly Roman as the corners were rounded. The area of the fort was large, 200 meters by 200 meters (approximately the size of eight football fields) and was probably a temporary camp capable of holding large numbers of troops. He explained: “It could have been an important part of the first push to Romanise the area, perhaps as early as 70AD, a militarisation that extended across the country for 300 years. It possibly serviced campaigns into Scotland and acted as a base for soldiers heading north, or withdrawing.” As I walked with Mark over the area he added “there is quite literally nothing to see above ground.” Castle Lonning (the narrow road to the Circle) goes straight through the middle of the Fort and it is reasonable to assume that this is a Roman road.
“It is amazing to think that when the Romans arrived and looked out from their Fort they were looking onto the Castlerigg Stone Circle which was already 2500 years old!” His team had been looking for the long lost ancient Manor House of Castlerigg and were pointed to the site of the Fort by Mark Cockbain who had noticed some unusual lines which had shown up on an aerial photo.
