AMBLESIDE (Galava)		Quality of Remains
		Ease of Access
		Atmosphere & Setting

History:

The original fort at Ambleside was constructed during the Flavian period, probably in the 80s AD, when the frontier of Roman influence in Northern Britain was still fluid, but lines of communication and troop movement were important. Galava (or Powerful Stream) lies on a road from the fort at Brougham (nr Penrith), over the pass by the Hardknott fort and down to the sea at Ravenglass. Nothing remains to be seen of this original timber fort now, though it was succeeded in the early second century by a second fort, this time in stone. It is this fort that can be seen today. Though there is little evidence as to the period of usage, a coin of the Emperor Valens found at the site suggests at least periodic occupation until at least the late fourth century.

Occupation:

Though there has been no evidence found to detail the units stationed at Galava, an inscription that remains untranslated may refer to an auxiliary cohort and this suggestion is supported by the discovery of slingshot at Ambleside, since slings are a weapon limited purely to auxiliary units. Indeed, the rare discovery of large numbers of slingshot suggests that Ambleside was home to a unit that may have trained in this weapon at the training camp of Burnswark in Scotland. The terrain of the Lake District would be unsuitable for cavalry and so we can assume that the unit stationed here was an auxiliary infantry unit.

Remains and Visit:

The site of Galava lies on the edge of Ambleside, on the shore of Lake Windermere. The site is free and permanently open. There is nothing to see of the fort's walls, but two of the gates and a few of the central range of buildings have been excavated and the granaries are consolidated. Though a little overgrown, the site is clearly visible, with the Commandant's house and the headquarters building walls topped with turf and the granaries in particular well-defined.

Images:

The Granaries	Headquarters Building	The Strongroom