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Route type: For all. 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
Distance: 2.25 km or 1.4 miles
Start point: Ravenglass station car park - grid ref. SD 086964
Turning point: Walls Farm - grid ref. SD 089958
Facilities: None on route, but toilets, car park and refreshments in Ravenglass
Getting there: 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.
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.
