Blog Lake District
← Back to Blog
The Romans were in the Lake District for approximately three hundred and fifty years — from the Flavian conquest of northern Britain in the AD 70s to the withdrawal of Roman administration in the early fifth century. They did not particularly like it. The upland core of the Lake District was too steep, too wet and too poor to repay agricultural development, and the local people were, by Roman standards, ungrateful and difficult. But the road network they built across the region, and the forts they established at its key crossing points, are still traceable in the landscape today.
Galava, Ambleside — the most accessible Roman fort in the Lake District, at the head of Windermere where the River Rothay runs into the lake. The earthwork outline of the fort is visible in the field at Borrans Park, a ten-minute walk from Ambleside town centre. The fort was established in the Hadrianic period (early 2nd century) and was occupied until the late 4th century. It was a supply point for the larger garrison at Hardknott and the route north over the Raise Pass. Steve has written about why the Romans chose this spot in particular — the same crossroads logic Ambleside still runs on today.
Hardknott Fort (Mediobogdum), Eskdale — this is the one that makes visitors stop and reconsider everything they thought they knew about the Roman army. Hardknott Fort sits at 300 metres above sea level on the flank of Hardknott Pass in the western Lakes — one of the steepest and most exposed positions of any Roman fort in Britain. The walls, the headquarters building and the parade ground are among the best-preserved Roman military remains in northern England. Standing there in rain and wind, looking south over Eskdale and west towards the Irish Sea, the practical reality of a Roman posting in the Lake District becomes very clear.
Ravenglass (Glannoventa) — on the Cumbrian coast at the mouth of the Esk, Ravenglass was a significant port and supply base. The bath house — standing to roof height in places, among the tallest surviving Roman buildings in Britain — is in a field on the edge of the village and is freely accessible.
The Romans built two main roads across the Lake District. The High Street road — running along the summit ridge of the High Street fell from Brougham near Penrith south to Ambleside — is one of the most remarkable Roman roads in Britain, following a ridge route at over 800 metres for several miles. It is now a classic fell walk, but the engineered surface is still detectable under the turf in places.
The second main route ran through the Hardknott and Wrynose Passes, connecting Ambleside with Ravenglass on the coast — a crossing so steep and exposed that it is difficult in a modern vehicle and must have been genuinely punishing for a marching column with full equipment.
The pre-Roman Lake District was not empty. The native Brigantes — the tribe whose territory covered most of northern England — had been in the Lake District for centuries, using the upland for seasonal grazing in patterns not unlike those the Norse settlers later established and which the modern Herdwick farming continues. The Roman conquest was followed by periods of resistance, and the Lake District forts were not simply administrative outposts — they were active garrisons maintaining order in territory that was not entirely reconciled to the empire.
The fort at Hardknott, particularly, feels less like an administrative centre than a statement of force in a landscape that resisted occupation. It would not have been a comfortable posting.
A day focusing on the Roman Lake District can cover Galava at Ambleside, the Roman road across High Street (by vehicle along the base route), Hardknott Fort in the western Lakes, and the bath house at Ravenglass — a full picture of Roman military presence in the far north-west of the empire. Your expert storyteller will explain the military history, the archaeology and the experience of the Roman soldiers stationed here — men from across the empire, many of them from the warmest parts of it, posted to one of the wettest, coldest outposts Rome ever occupied.
We are an independent local tour operator. This article is provided for general visitor interest and is not affiliated with or endorsed by any of the organisations listed. Opening arrangements, road conditions and access can change — Hardknott Pass in particular is subject to seasonal closure, so please check current advice before travelling.
The Roman history of the Lake District is available as a bespoke tour topic — including full days north to Hadrian's Wall and Vindolanda.