The Land of the Lune - Drakkar Press

The Lune from Borrow Beck ...
Just beyond the Borrow Beck junction at Low
Borrowbridge there is a flat, green field that seen
from the fells on either side looks like a sports arena,
which in a way it was because until the late 19 th century
a large sheep fair used to be held here, with associated
sports and other activities. But long before that, from the
1 st to the 4 th century, this was the site of a Roman fort.
Somehow this fact became forgotten, despite the
reminder of Borrow (or burgh) Beck, until it was rediscovered
in the early 19 th century. This is especially
surprising since the site has been relatively undisturbed
by later building. The fort measures 130m by 100m,
adequate for five hundred soldiers. It lies on the Carlisle-
Chester route and is the first of three sites of Roman
forts that we will meet. Excavations in the 20 th century
have confirmed the layout of the fort but seem to have
uncovered few remains. More has been found at the
cemetery to the south, including a tombstone with the
touching inscription (not in English, of course): “Gods
of the underworld, Aelia Sentica lived for 35 years.
Aurelius Verulus erected this stone for his loving wife”.
Although the outline of the fort is clear, there is not much
The Lune from Borrow Beck ... 47
to see on the ground, only ramparts along the line of the
old walls and on the west side a few ditches. Some claim
that, ignoring the railway, motorway and A685 (quite a
feat), the line of an aqueduct can be made out running
towards the fort from the slopes below Grayrigg Pike.
Grayrigg Pike is seen by many but noticed by few.
The steep crags and slopes around Great Coum and
Little Coum make them the most scenic cliffs we have
met so far but the rebounding noise of M6 traffic lessens
their appeal to walkers.
The Lune passes under Salterwath Bridge. We have
met a few ‘wath’s already and, as you might suspect, it
is an old word (Viking, in fact) for a ford. The bridge
itself was last rebuilt in 1824. At about this point, the
drove road that followed the Lune from Greenholme
swung west to skirt Grayrigg and climbed to the Lune
watershed, which it more or less followed south to
Kirkby Lonsdale.
Beyond Low Carlingill farm, the Lune meets the
most dramatic beck of the Howgills, Carlingill Beck.
Two pages before: Chapel Beck, looking towards
Bush Howe.
Below: Low Borrowbridge.
This is Chapter 3 of The Land of the Lune (2nd edition), http://www.drakkar.co.uk/landofthelune.html, Copyright © 2010 John Self