Armitt Talk Series 2024: The Hills Have Eyes - Roman and Native in the Lake District

Ambleside Roman Fort is set in one of the most scenic and tranquil locations in Britain, and yet two thousand years ago this was far from the case.

Recent work at the site by Trimontium Trust and Edinburgh University have brought to light a number of disturbing discoveries that suggest the fort suffered episodes of cataclysmic conflict.

How do we know this, who were the Romans fighting and what was the eventual outcome in this battle of wills between the local people and the world’s greatest empire?

Dr John Reid, Chair of the Trimontium Trust will bring us up to date with the latest results.

About the speaker

After setting out to train as an archaeologist at Glasgow University in 1974, John Reid changed direction to study medicine. After attaining a basic medical degree (1979), he specialised in imaging of the heart and lungs, ultimately becoming a consultant at Edinburgh Royal Infirmary (1986–1996). He then went on to become the associate Medical Director of Borders General Hospital and the Specialty Adviser to the Chief Medical Officer of Scotland (1996–2016). He also spent a brief period as an adviser to the United Nations International Atomic Energy Agency in Vienna and a year in Boston Massachusetts (2014).

John returned seriously to his first love of archaeology in 2012. He has been the chair of the Trimontium Trust (a Roman History Society) in the Scottish Borders for over twenty-five years. He has a specialist interest in the ballistic capabilities of the Imperial Roman Army and has devised and co-led investigations at the Roman siege site of Burnswark Hill in Dumfriesshire for three years (2014–16), where he has been working in partnership with Dumfries and Galloway county archaeologist, Andrew Nicholson.

Trimontium’s recent collaboration with Edinburgh University at Ambleside Roman fort has also just been published in Current Archaeology (CA 393).