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Urswick discovery believed to be Roman Fort
October 3rd, 2003
A new discovery, beneath fields in Great Urswick, is believed to be a Roman fort dating back almost 2,000 years.
Archaeologist Steve Dickinson, of Trinity Gardens, Ulverston, predicted the presence of the site in a report he wrote about Urswick church last year.
He said he suspected there were remains of a permanent Roman military base in the area because of the large amounts of unusual sandstone masonry that kept appearing in Urswick.
Mr Dickinson spent months researching the project on the Internet before discovering an old aerial photograph of the Urswick site which convinced him there was a fort in the fields.
This is a major find and it is really exciting, said Mr Dickinson. For more than 100 years Roman coins have been found in the Furness area and this find could explain why they have been popping up. Earlier this month, English Heritage visited Urswick and asked for a more detailed survey and excavation of the site to be carried out.
Mr Dickinson said: They didn’t confirm that it was a Roman fort but I am 90 per cent convinced that it is. We just have to prove it now. Mr Dickinson is planning to set up a voluntary archaeology group, which will survey the area, at a public meeting in Urswick Recreation Hall on Friday, October 3, at 7.30pm.
It is also hoped that during the next two years a small excavation of the area will be carried out.
We have got to create a big fuss about it. Archaeology is very expensive so the more local people we can get involved the better, he said.
Mr Dickinson is also working with a group of archaeologists from all over the North West researching other Roman sites in the country. He said the Urswick find would be included in the project, which could really put Furness on the tourist map. For more information about the Urswick project, Mr Dickinson can be contacted on 01229-586446.
The Corbridge Fort (Great Britain)
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