ONE of the most visible reminders of the Roman conquest of the Lake District almost 2,000 years ago can be seen in Ambleside.

The English Heritage site at Borrans Field provides grazing for sheep and plenty to interest visitors.

Roman troops probably called it Galava and outside the walls an extensive civilian community – called a vicus – would have sprung up to supply the fort and take part in trade with shipments coming up Windermere.

The first fort was built in timber with turf ramparts around 90AD as part of the Roman conquest of Northern Britain.

It would have housed around 200 troops.

A later fort of the second century was built in stone and would have housed a cohort of 500 Roman auxiliary infantry.

It was probably built on the lake shore during Hadrian’s reign, 117 to 138AD, to guard the trade and supply route between Brougham and Ravenglass.

The Ambleside site was un use to the fourth century and there are remains of the main gate and south gate, the commanding officer’s house, the headquarters building and granaries.

The main gate would have had impressive twin towers and the granary would have had a raised wooden floor to provide good ventilation and keep the grain dry.

A gravestone of the third century was found close to the fort in the 1960s for a clerk called Flavious Romanus who was “killed inside the fort by the enemy”.

The Ambleside site is free to visit and is open daily.