Set in the beautiful western village of Ravenglass, this is a walk back in time to one of the tallest remaining Roman buildings in the country OS Explorer Map OL6
For us, this route is all about history. A short stroll or ride out from Ravenglass, a charming village packed full of heritage, the route takes you along the edge of the estuary to the to the remains of the bath house of Ravenglass Roman fort, established in AD 130. This route is worth celebrating as it is an easy way to discover our Roman history, which is evident throughout the Lake District National Park, and you'll be in not one but two World Heritage Sites!
Ravenglass is an historic national park coastal hamlet, lying on the estuary of three rivers - the Esk, Mite and Irt. It became an important naval base for the Romans in the 2nd century. Little remains of their large fort, Glannoventa, except for the remarkable bath house, now known as Walls Castle. This is one of the largest surviving Roman structures in England, measuring about 15 metres by 30 metres, with walls 4 metres high. It housed everything from hot saunas to cold baths.
From the station car park, follow the tarmac path towards the steam railway bridge. Turn left and away from the railway, where the tarmac ends and the smooth surface path heads gently down to the road. Turn right on to the tarmac road to the bath house ruins. There is an off-road path by the side of the road, which leads to, and slightly beyond, the bath house. After 1 km, you reach the bath house, information panels and a bench.
Ravenglass station car park
Postcode: CA18 1SN
Grid reference: SD 086964
W3W: ///detection.shakes.dusters
Grid reference: SD 089958
W3W: ///radar.inversely.promotion
None on route, but toilets, car park and refreshments in Ravenglass.
Train: Station at Ravenglass. Trains from Lancaster and Arnside in the south and Workington and Carlisle in the north. Car: A590 from Kendal and take the A5092 and A595 beyond Broughton in Furness. From the north, follow the A595.
