This new exhibition at The Armitt places the Ambleside Roman Fort into the wider context of the Roman occupation of the north, but it specifically narrows down to what might have happened onsite at the strategic position at the head of Windermere.

When the Romans arrived in Ambleside in the 1st century CE, they brought trade, culture… and conflict. “Killed inside the fort by enemies,” reads a gravestone connected to the Ambleside Roman Fort, but what happened here during the occupation?

First excavated in the early 20th century by R.G. Collingwood and Francis Haverfield, followed by various other digs related to modern redevelopments in the area through the 1960s-1980s, it has not been until recently that archaeologists have returned to a theory that there was a “Battle of Ambleside”.

Investigations that took place between 2021-2023 by the Trimontium Trust and Edinburgh University have revealed very interesting additional evidence that points towards an attack upon the fort by an unknown enemy.

This new exhibition at The Armitt places the Ambleside Roman Fort into the wider context of the Roman occupation of the north, but it specifically narrows down to what might have happened onsite at the strategic position at the head of Windermere.

We invite visitors to explore the archaeological material and new information on display in this exhibition. What do you think took place and what more do you think there could still be to discover?

There’s also plenty to have a go at for yourselves too, including:
     • Choose your Roman outfit
     • Try your hand at being an archaeologist
     • Shape some lead sling bullets
     • Measure your Roman soldier height
     • Sniff out our Roman aromas

“Thank you to our supporters who have helped to bring this exhibition together”.