Low Borrowbridge Roman Fort, 2011

Low Borrowbridge Roman Fort - 2011 archaeological dig

Near Tebay

Cumbria

In July of 2011, the Lunesdale Archaeological Society managed to get permission to commence a dig at the Low Borrowbridge Roman Fort just outside Tebay. I visited on the open day, and managed to get some photos of the site that was excavated just to the South of the fort, and also managed to get some much better photos of the fort without having to furtively sneak around. Check out the older photos and write up of the fort here.

Above. 'Digger' up to her neck in it!

Above. The long slow laborious process of documenting the finds.

Above. And here he is again.

Above. Plan of the fort.

Above. The West gateway from inside the fort.

Above. An inside\outside view of the fort from the top of the earthen bank.

This photo shows the inside of the fort to the left of the bank, and the defensive ditches to the right. I think the stone walling on top of the original Roman defensive bank was probably robbed from any standing walls that were, apparently, still visible prior to the outbreak of World War I. They will probably have been cleared to allow the field to be ploughed and planted for the war effort. I think we can probably forgive the farmer for this!!

Above. A view of the interior of the fort from the North West corner looking South towards Blease Fell.

Above. The gateway in the Western side of the fort.

Here there are still faint earthworks, possibly suggesting the site of two small buildings just either side of the modern gate. The gateposts are standing on top of two huge slabs of stone, possibly contemporary with the fort.

Above. Looking North towards Jeffrey's Mount.

Above. The South West corner of the fort, looking North East with Powson Knott in the background.

The man in the foreground gives a good idea of the height of the surviving external bank upon which the modern field wall is now built. It must be in the region of thirteen feet high. It must therefore have been much higher when it was originally completed, possibly with a wooden palisade on top adding further height and safety.

Above. Looking North whilst standing in the foot of the ditch.

The ditches to the West of the fort, although damaged by the building of the railway, are still around four feet deep. They would have been much deeper originally, and there would most likely have been much deeper when originally dug.