Senhouse Roman Museum, Maryport
Hadrian’s Wall and Cumbrian Coast fortifications Tonight, I am posting information on the Roman military fort known as Alauna at modern-day Maryport , on England’s north Cumbrian coastline. The image above shows the hard line of Hadrian’s Wall, running east-west. The Wall’s south-western flank was protected by a fortified line along the coast terminating at Alauna. This line faces across the Solway Firth (estuary) across which is Scotland but for most of the Roman period was hostile territory controlled by the Picts. Alauna was one of the largest Roman frontier forts and may have served as a supply base for the western section of the Wall. Alauna was constructed in the AD120s, probably by the 2nd and 20th legions and remained in operation until the Roman withdrawal in AD 410. Archaeologists have recovered 23 altars whose inscriptions provide a very useful source of information on the occupying forces which were posted from around the Empire, viz: Second Augusta Twenti...