Scheduled MonumentsEnglandSt Constantine's cells (Wetheral Caves) and rock-cut Roman inscription

St Constantine's cells (Wetheral Caves) and rock-cut Roman inscription

England
List entry 1007160
Nation
England
The designation
Reference
List entry 1007160
Authority
Historic England (NHLE)
Status
Scheduled Monument
Scheduled area
0.19 hectares
Grid reference
NY 46668 53530
Boundary

Scheduled area

© Mapbox · © OpenStreetMap contributors · Boundary data © Historic England (NHLE)

Overview

History & significance

St Constantine's cells is a site of rock-cut chambers located at Wetheral in Cumberland, situated within a sandstone cliff above the River Eden. The caves comprise a series of small cells carved into the natural rock face, traditionally associated with early Christian hermitic occupation, though their precise date of origin and original purpose remain matters of scholarly debate. A Roman inscription is present at the site, though its relationship to the cell system and its exact provenance within the archaeological context require careful interpretation. The monument represents evidence of both Romano-British activity and potential early medieval Christian use of the Wetheral locality.

St Constantine's cells (Wetheral Caves) and rock-cut Roman inscription is a scheduled monument protected by Historic England under reference 1007160. View the official record →

About this monument

Questions & answers

What is St Constantine's cells (Wetheral Caves) and rock-cut Roman inscription?

St Constantine's cells is a site of rock-cut chambers located at Wetheral in Cumberland, situated within a sandstone cliff above the River Eden. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic England (NHLE) under reference 1007160.

Who is responsible for protecting St Constantine's cells (Wetheral Caves) and rock-cut Roman inscription?

St Constantine's cells (Wetheral Caves) and rock-cut Roman inscription is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic England (NHLE) — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in England. The official designation reference is 1007160.

What other scheduled monuments are near St Constantine's cells (Wetheral Caves) and rock-cut Roman inscription?

Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Wetheral Priory gatehouse and length of medieval wall (0.7 km), Scalesceugh Roman kilns (4.4 km), Park House Roman fort (4.6 km).

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Everything a full report reveals about St Constantine's cells (Wetheral Caves) and rock-cut Roman inscription

This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 15 strands of St Constantine's cells (Wetheral Caves) and rock-cut Roman inscription's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:

Overview
An interactive map of the location with every monument and battle plotted, and a plain-language history built only from what the record holds.
Monuments
The legally protected scheduled monuments around the location, each with its period, type and significance.
Battlefields
The battles and sieges fought on this ground, mapped and set on a timeline of the wider conflict.
Roman Britain
The Roman roads, forts and towns near here, and the Iron Age people who held the land before Rome arrived.
Domesday
The settlement's entry in the 1086 Domesday Book: who held it, what it was worth, and the people who worked the land.
Civil War
The Civil War fighting, garrisons and recorded militaria in this area, woven into the arc of 1642 to 1651.
Geology
The bedrock beneath the site, its age and rock type, reaching back hundreds of millions of years.
LiDAR
Laser-scanned terrain that reveals earthworks hidden under fields and woodland, with likely features flagged.
Local Names
What the street and field names around here actually mean, and the history buried inside them.
Historical Maps
Ordnance Survey maps from the 1800s, layered over the location as it stands today.
Literature
The books, county histories, charters and archives that mention this place, quoted with their sources.
Legal
The protected sites nearby and the metal-detecting, access and treasure laws that apply to this ground.
Spotlight
A deep dive into the most remarkable, lesser-known history of the place, traced back to the record.
Target Zones
For detectorists: the most promising ground to search nearby, ranked by confidence, with what to expect.
Timeline
The whole story of the location told era by era, from prehistory to the present day.
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The ground beneath

The bedrock under St Constantine's cells (Wetheral Caves) and rock-cut Roman inscription

St Constantine's cells (Wetheral Caves) and rock-cut Roman inscription stands on Triassic Rocks (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Triassic. The rock here is sandstone and conglomerate, interbedded.

The wider landscape

Around St Constantine's cells (Wetheral Caves) and rock-cut Roman inscription

Hadrian's WallArchaeological site · ~23.7 milesBattle of Solway Moss 1542Battle (1542) · ~10.2 milesBattle of SarkBattle (1448) · ~12.2 miles