Roman soldiers at re-enactment at Brockhole copyright Steve Reeve

Archaeology and history

People have changed and shaped the Lake District landscape for thousands of years. The evidence is everywhere!

  • How did the Lake District evolve into what you see today? Check out our timeline
  • See places to visit for evidence of people in the Lake District’s past
  • Find out everything you need for your school project in the Discovery Zone
  • Delve into the detail in Find out more

Monument of the Month:

Three Shires Stone

This is a great monument because:

It marks the original junction between Westmorland, Cumberland and Lancashire. As well as being situated in a stunning location, I love the idea of something standing in 3 places at once! Ambleside resident John Field replaced the 3 original ‘inconspicuous’ stones with the current pillar in 1870.

Where is it?:

Wrynose Pass. Lakes CP. NY277 027

Chosen by:

Annie Hamilton-Gibney, Access to Archaeology Project Officer

Find out more:

Heritage Environment Record for Three Shires Stone (opens in new window)

Twice the fun in our online games!

Viking explorer from Time Trekkers game

Travel through time mazes to collect precious pouches. But watch out for wolves in our Time Trekkers game (opens in new window).

Archaeologist from Can We Dig It? game

Aerial photos or geophysics surveys? How many trenches to dig? Choose wisely if you want a successful excavation in our Can We Dig It? game (opens in new window).

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Created with support from the Heritage Lottery Fund