Uncovering Roman Carlisle

“A couple of hours in, having given up hope of finding anything identifiable, out popped a Roman coin. The detail was remarkable. I was looking at the bust of a Roman emperor. I was the first person to hold and admire it in over 1600 years and I felt a real connection to the site as I looked down onto the archaeology unfolding in the trenches.”

These are the words from just one of the hundreds of volunteers who have taken part in Uncovering Roman Carlisle (URC). URC is an ongoing programme of community archaeology, engagement, and exhibitions, exploring the internationally significant Carlisle Roman Bathhouse on Hadrian’s Wall. 

Our aim with URC is for a unique, free to access, urban excavation that can engage new audiences with heritage, enhance participants wellbeing and skills, and improves Carlisle for residents and visitors. 

The project has concluded the 2024 season. The award-winning Uncovering Roman Carlisle (URC) will return to Carlisle’s Roman Bathhouse for a mini-dig in February and March 2025. 

 We are currently working behind the scenes with Post Excavation, the program of talks and education visits, and planning for 2025!

It began when an archaeological investigation for a new flood proof cricket pavilion at Carlisle Cricket Club in 2017 led to the discovery of the bathhouse. A formerly unknown high-ranking imperial Roman bathhouse, and the largest building on Hadrian’s Wall. 

Funded by Carlisle City Council (now Cumberland Council) and supported by local firm Story Construction, archaeologists from Wardell Armstrong and volunteers uncovered remains of an underfloor heating system (hypocaust), and vast quantities of pottery, bone, and metal artefacts. Most significantly however was an exceptional engraved stone fragment, seemingly dedicated to the Empress Julia Domna (193 - 211 AD).

This discovery prompted a successful bid to the National Lottery Heritage Funded (NLHF) in 2021/2022, which became URC. Formed from a partnership of Carlisle Cricket Club, Cumberland Council, Wardell Armstrong LLP (the archaeological branch of a local multidisciplinary consultancy), and Tullie (Cumberland’s largest museum and art gallery) and supported by a large un-constituted group of volunteers - The Diggers. 

As The Diggers, we have had the privilege to return every year since 2021 to further explore the site, and to exhibit the discoveries to the world. This video from volunteer Peter about the dig. Taken during the bath house excavations at Carlisle Cricket club between 2017 to 2023.

“This site is really waking people up to the exciting archaeology that there is here in Carlisle... helping people get in touch with that Heritage in a really physical way. I’ve had a lovely time!”

— Dr Alice Roberts

URC so Far....

There have now been;

· 6 excavations.

· 3 exhibitions (one touring 10 venues across the area).

· 2800+ volunteer places.

· 11,000+ site visitors.

· 50+ talks to over 2600 people.

· 14,500+ visited Tullie’s two temporary exhibitions.

· 6,000+ visited the touring exhibition.

· 4,262 individuals have viewed the digitised artefacts on-line in the UK North-West Virtual Exhibition.

· 2,226 pupils participated in the learning program.

· International visitors from 40 countries visited or participated.

URC has highlighted Carlisle in international media. Most recently in Digging for Britain, with Professor Alice Roberts joining the volunteers. URC features in the Nat Geo documentary “Lost Mysteries of the Roman Empire.” This has allowed wider engagement and further, global appreciation of Carlisle as a visitor destination.

Award Winning Project

Uncovering Roman Carlisle was recognised for providing high quality engagement and the project won 3 national/international awards in 2023 and 1 in 2021. URC won awards from the Council for British Archaeology (CBA) and the Society for Museum Archaeology. The winning awards were:  

- Public Dissemination or Presentation (sponsored by the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland) – CBA 

- Learning, Training, and Skills (sponsored by Archaeological Management Solutions - AMS) – CBA 

- Society for Museum Archaeology Engagement Project of the Year Award.

- Council of British Archaeology and Marsh Charitable Trust’s Community Archaeology Project of the Year 2021, with a Project Archaeologist nominated for Community Archaeologist 2021.