Roman holidays and the Western Lake District

Lovers of Roman history have a treat in store in the Western Lake District this Autumn, with two of the area’s visitor attractions offering fabulous insights into the Roman occupation of this beautiful part of the country.

The Ravenglass and Eskdale Railway, the country’s longest and most spectacular steam railway, has created a series of special train experiences called Steam and Romans. These are pre-booked, first class outings to Hardknott Roman Fort, one of the loneliest outposts of the Roman Empire.

In Roman times, Hardknott Fort, known as Mediobogdum, guarded the routes from the Hadrianic forts at Ravenglass (Glannaventa) and Ambleside (Galava), from attacks by the maurading Scots and Brigantes. The fort, built between 120 and 138AD, boasts the most dramatic remains of the Roman occupation of Lakeland and perches on dark crags, at the peak of the Hardknott Pass. This provides it with breathtaking views across Lakeland’s fells and out to sea.

A great deal of the walls and foundations of the inner buildings survive today and passengers on the Steam and Romans experience can view the headquarters building, the commandant’s house, the granary and the outlying bathhouse, as well as two interesting inscribed stones.

The bath house boasts a beehive shaped sauna bath and was located outside the walls, on the three acre site that housed 500 infantrymen of the fourth Cohort of Dalmatians. What is regarded as the best preserved Roman parade ground in the Western Empire can also be viewed here.

The fort is isolated and relatively inaccessible, making Steam and Romans a not-to-be-missed opportunity to reach this site. The seven-mile train journey, through one of Lakeland's loveliest valleys, is combined with a luxury mini coach ascent of the notoriously winding Hardknott Pass that often deters drivers. Upon reaching the fort, an entertaining and informative tour will be given.

Home made soup and freshly prepared sandwiches are included in the ticket price of £19.90 for an adult and £14.90 for a child.

The Romans occupied Eskdale for 350 years and their presence was also felt on the Western coast of Cumbria, through a string of forts, comprising Maryport, Workington, Moresby and Ravenglass. Walkers are now able to follow the entire length of Hadrian’s Wall, on an 84-mile long sign-posted trail running along the Roman route between Bowness-on-Solway in Cumbria and Wallsend in Tyneside.

Other fabulous Roman artefacts are housed in the Senhouse Roman Museum, in Maryport. This award-winning museum, with its stunning views of the Scottish coast, is located next to the site of Maryport’s Roman fort, built by Marcus Maenius Agrippa, on the orders of Emperor Hadrian, who also instructed his friend to found a temple to Jupiter.

The museum houses Britain’s oldest antiquarian collection, begun by John Senhouse of Netherall, in the reign of Elizabeth 1. It also has the country’s largest collection of Roman altars from a single site, along with many fine Romano-British religious sculptures, inscriptions from the fort and vicus.

The altars collection includes both military altar stones carved for Marcus and a complete run of dedicated altars commissioned by his successors. Some spectacular and intriguing sculptures include those of a serpent, a water nymph and a gatekeeper.

Younger visitors can find out about life in Roman Britain by following Humphrey’s trail, Humphrey being a boar emblem of the 20th Legion, now adopted by the Museum. There is also the opportunity to take part in an archaeological dig and dress up as a Roman, or climb to the top of the observation tower, to view the fort from above.

The Senhouse Roman Museum is open every day to October, between 10-5pm. It then opens Friday, Saturday and Sunday, between 10.30-4pm, from November to March. Admission costs 75 pence for a child and £2.50 for adults. Groups can also book. More details about the museum are available at Senhousemuseum.co.uk.