Westward: Roman Traces and Historic Architecture

Westward Amid Roman Traces and Historic Architecture

Westward brings together several historical perspectives: Roman military and settlement history meets a parish church, an early medieval chapel known from historical records and characterful farmhouses. Those planning a trip with cultural discoveries can connect different scales here – from a large monument complex to a detail on a sandstone façade. For families, this variety offers plenty to talk about and provides tangible points of reference, without requiring every day of the trip to have the same focus.

The Old Carlisle (Olerica) monument comprises the remains of a Roman fort, the surrounding civilian settlement, or vicus, and an associated road. An upstanding earthwork survives from the fort; the civilian settlement survives as well-preserved archaeological deposits lying beneath the ground. Old Carlisle fort covers approximately 2 hectares and has a rectangular plan with rounded corners. These details make the extent and shape of the site imaginable without reducing its history to a single visible remnant of walling.

Roman Settlement History and Sacred Places

The remains of the settlement 450 yards (410 m) south of Greenhill are particularly revealing. The enclosure survives as a square cropmark and is surrounded by a double ditch. Its remains provide insight into the Roman occupation of Britain and, in particular, the relationship between Roman military occupation and native settlement. Those interested in archaeology can use this to explore a historical question: How did military installations and civilian settlements encounter one another?

The sacred history of Westward can also be traced through several names and building phases. The hermitage near Isle Kirk, which was established no earlier than the 13th century, was recorded as the chapel “Hildkirk” in 1374. The parish church of St Hilda was rebuilt in 1785–1786. Its exterior façade is made of red sandstone, complemented by a graduated green slate roof and a square bellcote or tower with a pyramidal top. If you would like to learn more about the Church of St Hilda, contacting the church directly is recommended for further information.

Historic Houses as a Second Layer of Discovery

Stoneraise Farmhouse and the adjoining outbuildings form an intact example of a small vernacular farmstead from the late 18th century, remodelled in the 19th century. Meadow Bank Farmhouse is a rare dated example of this house type. Together with the Roman traces, these buildings broaden the view of Westward: the history of the place encompasses not only antiquity but also the development of rural architectural forms.

Another detail connects local tradition with Old Carlisle. Two stones in Islekirk Hall suggest that they and other stones came from the nearby Roman fort of Old Carlisle. The cautious wording is part of the story: it shows how architectural traces can be interpreted and related to one another.

Westward as a Starting Point for Planning Your Trip

When looking for holiday accommodation or a holiday cottage in Westward, you can first determine your cultural focus. Those wishing to explore Roman history in greater depth can turn their attention to Old Carlisle, the fort, the vicus and the associated road. Those wishing to combine sacred architecture and local history can include St Hilda and Hildkirk in their plans. The farmhouses complement this programme with a look at historic residential and agricultural buildings. This creates a travel plan that does not depend on a single attraction but brings together different forms of discovery.

For further trip planning, you can also explore Penruddock, Portinscale, Levens, Embleton, Broughton, Dockray, Ravenglass and Hawkshead.

For the higher-level travel overview: Cumbria.