Roman BritainRomano-British settlement, 450m east of High Borrans
Roman Settlement · Civilian

Romano-British settlement, 450m east of High Borrans

Roman Britain
Pleiades ID: nhle-5364
Site type
Settlement
Category
Civilian
Latitude
54.4012
Longitude
-2.8683
Overview

History & context

The site 450m east of High Borrans, in the hills above Windermere in southern Cumbria, is a small Romano-British upland settlement of the type common across the Lake District fells, likely active between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD. It comprises stone-walled enclosures and hut circles set on a terrace, representing a native farmstead engaged in mixed pastoral and small-scale arable agriculture, with sheep and cattle husbandry probably dominant given the altitude and terrain.

Source: Pleiades — A Community-Built Gazetteer and Graph of Ancient Places. View the Pleiades record →

Significance

Historical significance

The settlement is part of a dispersed pattern of indigenous rural sites in the Cumbrian fells that persisted under Roman rule, lying within the hinterland of the fort at Ambleside (Galava) some 5km to the west, and probably supplied agricultural produce to the military market while remaining culturally Brittonic in character. It is one of several comparable enclosed farmsteads around the High Borrans–Applethwaite Common area that together illustrate the density of native settlement in this upland zone.

Archaeology

Archaeological record

The site is known principally from earthwork survey rather than excavation, with visible remains of a sub-rectangular enclosure and associated round-house foundations recorded in regional surveys; no closely datable finds assemblage has been published for this specific settlement, and its dating rests on morphological parallels with excavated sites such as those at Aughertree Fell and Crosby Ravensworth.

About this site

Questions & answers

What is Romano-British settlement, 450m east of High Borrans?

The site 450m east of High Borrans, in the hills above Windermere in southern Cumbria, is a small Romano-British upland settlement of the type common across the Lake District fells, likely active between the 2nd and 4th centuries AD. It is recorded in the Pleiades gazetteer of ancient places as a settlement site from the Roman period in Britain.

What type of Roman site is Romano-British settlement, 450m east of High Borrans?

Romano-British settlement, 450m east of High Borrans is classified as a Roman settlement — a civilian site in the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer. Roman Britain's archaeology encompasses thousands of sites ranging from legionary fortresses and marching camps to villas, temples and towns.

What other Roman sites are near Romano-British settlement, 450m east of High Borrans?

Several Roman sites lie within a short distance, including Millrigg Romano-British enclosed hut circle settlement (2.8 km), Romano-British enclosed stone hut circle settlement and Romano-British farmstead north west of Tongue House Barn. (6.1 km), Galava (6.9 km). Aubrey Research maps over 2,200 Roman sites across Britain, drawn from the Pleiades ancient world gazetteer.

How can I research the history of the area around Romano-British settlement, 450m east of High Borrans?

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