A new group is being set up in Carlisle to further the work of the archaeological dig recently undertaken at Carlisle Cricket Club where a Roman bathhouse and a previously unknown road were uncovered.
The new group is being set up as a community group attached to the Roman Roads Research Association (RRRA) who have members all over Britain.
The first project will be to try and trace the continuation of the road that was uncovered in the Carlisle Cricket Club excavations and will involve geophysical surveys of the cricket field. These surveys should reveal structures beneath the ground at depths up to two feet.
The RRRA will be bringing machines from Yorkshire to undertake the survey and it is hoped that the surveys can be extended to Rickerby Park and surrounding areas once permissions have been obtained.
The Association and its members have already discovered hundreds of miles of hitherto unknown Roman roads in Cumbria and it is hoped the new group will be able to discover more new roads as well as pinpoint the exact locations of roads that are known but the exact route has not been defined.
The new group are holding their first meeting at the Museum of Military Life in Carlisle Castle at 10.30am on Saturday and will be addressed by the chair of the RRRA, Mike Haken, who will explain exactly what to look for in a Roman road. The meeting is free to anyone who wants to attend.
Local RRRA representative Chester Forster said: ”When the excavation at Carlisle Cricket Club ended there was tremendous enthusiasm to continue the work undertaken by Wardell Armstrong and their archaeologists and knowing that this company is dependent on outside funding, I decided to ask the volunteers if they would be interested in setting up an amateur group.
“So far 25 people have come forward to say they are interested in furthering the work that has already been undertaken and many more have expressed an interest. More information about Roman roads in Cumbria can be found at www.romanroads.org”
