Old Cumbria Gazetteer

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	settlement, Borrowdale
	Castle Crag Roman Fort
site name:-	Castle Crag
civil parish:-	Borrowdale (formerly Cumberland)
county:-	Cumbria
locality type:-	roman fort (?)
coordinates:-	NY249158
1Km square:-	NY2415
10Km square:-	NY21
evidence:-	descriptive text:- West 1778 (11th edn 1821)  item:-  bloomery iron; iron
source data:-	Guide book, A Guide to the Lakes, by Thomas West, published by William Pennington, Kendal, Cumbria once Westmorland, and in London, 1778 to 1821.   goto source Page 94:-  "On the summit of Castle-crag are the remains of a fort; and much freestone, both red and white, has been quarried out of the ruins. Not long since, a lead pan with an iron bow was taken out of them, and two masses of smelted iron, which probably were from the bloomery at the foot of the Stake in Borrowdale. The fort has most likely been of Roman origin, to guard the pass, and secure the treasure contained in the bosom of these mountains. The Saxons, and after them, the Furness monks, maintained this fort for the same purpose. ..." "..." "... The length of the castellum from east to west is about 70 yards, from south to north about 40 yards."   goto source Addendum; Mr Gray's Journal, 1769  Page 205:-  "... Beside the village [Grange] rises a round eminence of a rock covered entirely in old trees, and over that more proudly towers Castle-cragg, invested also with wood on its sides, and bearing on its naked top some traces of a fort, said to be Roman, ..."
evidence:-	old text:- Clarke 1787
source data:-	Guide book, A Survey of the Lakes of Cumberland, Westmorland, and Lancashire, written and published by James Clarke, Penrith, Cumberland, and in London etc, 1787; published 1787-93.   goto source Page 82:-  "..." "Upon the spiral rock behind Grainge, called Castle, is the appearance of a fort, castle, watch-tower, or other building. It does not, however, appear that it has been a building of any great magnitude, and the difficult ascent rather confirms it; there have been dug out here freestone like tomb-stones, pieces of brick, an iron pott, &c. It is worth the traveller's while to go upon it for the view's sake, though it does not exceed the view from behind Barrow before described. There is a back view of Borrowdale from it, which is such, that a stranger would imagine he saw the world's-end, and that no person could travel further. ..."
hearsay:-	Finds from the site are in Keswick Museum, and include Samian Ware.

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