Excavations Begin Again At Maryport Roman Temple

For what will be the third summer in a row, The Senhouse Roman Museum is starting excavation on the site next to the Roman fort at Maryport in Cumbria. The work will be undertaken in collaboration with the University of Newcastle and the Camp Farm landowners Hadrian’s Wall Trust.

Professor Ian Haynes from the university and Tony Wilmott of English Heritage have returned to direct the excavation, the aim of which is to re-examine once again a building first excavated in the late 19th century by local bank manager and amateur archaeologist Joseph Robinson, who believed that he had discovered a previously unknown Roman temple possibly dedicated to Jupiter. Several altars were also found next to the building.

However, photographic evidence from Robinson’s excavations appear to suggest that he did not clearly excavate the building.  Professor Haynes said: “The Maryport altars have been at the centre of international debate about the nature of religion in the Roman army for decades. This project represents a marvellous opportunity.”

This excavation is running for the best part of six weeks, and the results will be added to the Senhouse Roman Museum’s collections, joining finds discovered previously by Joseph Robinson.
Alison Fowler, from the Hadrian’s Wall Trust, said: “The previous two years’ excavations focused on the area in which the altars were discovered in 1870 and yielded remarkable and surprising results. This year sees some further work at the 1870 site and the start of a planned three year project.”

The excavation will be open to visitors as part of a visit to the museum on weekdays until July 22 at 2pm and 3.30pm.

All public access will be by guided walks to the site led by the museum’s volunteer guides followed by a tour of the excavation led by one of the site supervisors.

When Maryport was first established as a fort around AD 122, it was known as Alauna. It was  a command and supply base for the coastal defences of  Hadrian’s Wall  at its western extremity. There are substantial remains of the Roman fort, which was one of a series of forts from Hadrian's Wall, intended to prevent the wall being outflanked by crossing the  Solway Firth.

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