COPELAND council has commissioned a short film highlighting the incredible Roman history of West Cumbria.
The Hadrianic Frontier is launched today (Thursday, December 22), and will be shown at Muncaster Castle, The Beacon Museum in Whitehaven, and the Senhouse Roman Museum in Maryport. Tullie House in Carlisle will also host the film on their website.
It highlights the wealth of Roman sites that exist beyond Hadrian’s Wall itself, including the Bath House at Ravenglass, and forts at Eskdale, Maryport, and Stanwix.
The seven-minute film will be shown in the attractions to mark the finale of the Hadrian 1900 celebrations. There have been events and exhibitions during the year as part of the 1,900-year anniversary of the Roman wall between England and Scotland(link is external).
A short trailer version of the film can be seen here: https://youtu.be/g_HESxjRZbs(link is external)
Councillor Steven Morgan, Copeland’s portfolio holder for tourism and The Beacon Museum, said: “This film showcases what an incredible wealth of Roman history Cumbria has aside from the wall itself. The beautiful footage will, I’m sure, encourage walkers and history-lovers to head west and experience something less well-known but exceptional.”
Sharon Arrowsmith, curator at Muncaster Castle, said: “We think the film really highlights the magnificent landscape in this part of the world, and why the Romans would have chosen to extend the frontier. The film does an excellent job in showcasing why visitors to the lakes should prioritise the Western Lake District and Roman Cumbria as a destination with significant heritage.”
Elsa Price, curator of human history at Tullie House and Art Gallery, said: “This film gives us a rare and exciting opportunity to look west from Hadrian’s Wall from Carlisle to the coast and place the World Heritage site in its broader, Cumbrian, context.”
The longer version of The Hadrianic Frontier can be seen at The Beacon Museum, Muncaster Castle and the Senhouse Roman Museum in the coming weeks. It will also be available ot Tullie House’s website. After the 1900 festival has concluded, it will be available to view in full on YouTube.
PIC: The Roman Bath House at Ravenglass