A CAMPAIGN has been started by a local history group to explore the possibility of achieving World Heritage status for a Cumbrian town.

The Millom and District Local History Society has announced the 'staggering' results of a geophysical survey commissioned by renowned historian and filmmaker Peter Barton, along with a plethora of artifacts found by local enthusiasts in the fields around Millom Castle and Holy Trinity Church.

The group has revealed that evidence of a 'possible' Roman road was found and has now set up a crowdfunding page to raise £3,000 to conduct further surveys of the area - with a possibility of having Millom registered as a World Heritage Site.

The survey also threw up the possibility of a 'lost' medieval settlement around Millom Castle.

Jan Bridget, from the society, said she was 'completely overwhelmed' by the recent findings:

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"In order for us to progress we really need a geophysical survey to highlight areas suitable for further examination through archaeological investigation," she said.

"What we are looking for is hard evidence (not portable) of Neolithic remains, that the Romans were here, that there was an earlier religious building or evidence of the Medieval village or weekly market and annual fair. 

"If we can prove the Romans were here then we will change history and could become a World Heritage Site - part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire. 

"What a difference that would make to Millom."

Jan said that the work of local volunteers would be instrumental in taking the project forward.

"We're finding things regularly - next week, young Josh Carr might go out with his detector and find something else exciting - I'd encourage anybody to go out and look, as we'd never find anything otherwise," she said.

"Other parts of the country, usually in the south, tend to attract more money to find these things, so if we can find hard evidence that the Romans lived here, as was commonly thought in the nineteenth century, we could attract that funding.

"The exciting thing for me would be to be able to get training for our volunteers to perform these surveys ourselves, and then we could really pick up the pace!"

For more information, visit www.millomhistory.org.uk.