Most people know that the Romans came, saw and conquered most of the British Isles. Most people are aware of the grand design that is Hadrian's Wall, surviving today as an ancient monument, visited each year by thousands of tourists. But how many people have ventured out to Ambleside to visit the Roman fort there, or the fort perched atop Hardknott Pass?

Both represent Roman occupation at the far West of the Roman empire, and at the Northern most tip of the occupied British Isles.

Ambleside (Galava): The fort at Ambleside, or Galava as historians think it was referred to by the Romans, lays at the Northern most tip of Windermere. It was first built in around AD79, and then strengthened in around AD130, when much of the wooden structures were replaced with stone, and was positioned to protect the Roman trade routes through Cumbria.

The site sits next to the road (behind the rugby pitch), in a flat fieldso flat in fact, that from a distance all you can see is a style in the middle of the field, and a few none descript lumps and bumps'.

Once you're in the field however, the site unfolds. The whole fort is built upon a huge square platform, fashioned and placed by the Roman builders. This raises the site perhaps 6 inches above the surrounding field. Because most of the remains were buried beneath top soil and a thick layer of turf, any remains that have been excavated, are anything up to a foot below the surface.hence the near invisibility of the site from the road side.

It's plain to see the rooms, walls and corridors once you're actually within the fortress's walls though. The main gate has been excavated to reveal the stone plinth upon which the huge frame was set, and the granaries are fully excavated revealing the remains and foundations of the large building. The turfed over remains, represent the remnants of the Commandant's quarters, guard rooms and barracks.

There are the feint earthwork remains of a look out tower between the fort and the lake side, and the foundation remains of the East gateway are visible.

All in all the site is pretty impressive. Much of the remains have been excavated so that the foundations can be seen clearly, and those that haven't, and are still turfed over, are still visible. I would imagine that the site looks even more impressive from the air. The individual buildings in the fort are all labelled, imparting information for each room, tower and piece of wall. It enables you to glimpse what it must have looked like all those centuries ago!

From a none historic point of view, the remains of the fort are situated in a particularly photogenic place. The lake on one side, and the soaring Lake District mountains on the other. On the day I visited the site, there was a sprinkling of snow on the summits of the mountain tops, bright sunshine, and the air was crisp and clear without a hint of haze. And to top that, there wasn't another person around for what seemed like miles. It's strange walking around these remains, knowing that they're around two thousand years old, and still visible after all this time. It's no surprise then, that I lingered here for over an hour.

Check soon for the Hardknott blog...