The Uncovering Roman Carlisle (URC) project, focusing on the excavation and exhibition of Carlisle’s Roman Bathhouse, has secured three prestigious national awards.

The Council for British Archaeology (CBA) presented URC with two honours, while the Society for Museum Archaeology (SMA) also recognised the initiative's positive community impact.

Last Friday, in the prestigious De Grey Rooms in York, URC accepted the CBA's awards for Public Dissemination or Presentation and Learning, Training, and Skills.

Another Hadrian's Wall project, WallCAP - Hadrian’s Wall Community Archaeology Project, received high commendation in the Public Dissemination or Presentation award.

On top of these successes, SMA named URC as the Engagement Project of the Year.

One judge commented that: “This project clearly demonstrates the benefits of engaging volunteers with archaeological excavation and museum based post-ex.

"It is a clear model for how to utilise such archaeological and museum resources to carefully engage with the local, and often hard to reach, communities, and instil elements of pride in local heritage.”

The URC project lives under the cooperative umbrella of Cumberland Council, Carlisle Cricket Club, Tullie House Museum and Gallery, and Wardell Armstrong Archaeology.

This group has been fostering community interest in Carlisle's Roman heritage by carrying out archaeological investigations and running associated exhibitions.

Councillor Anne Quilter, Cumberland Council’s Executive Member for Vibrant and Healthy Places, said: “Well done to all those involved in this ground-breaking project.

"In addition to unearthing some internationally significant finds, the community initiative has provided substantial benefits for the volunteers and partners involved. It’s great that the project has yet again been recognised by their national governing organisations.”

The exhibitions and tours scheduled for 2022 at Tullie House and the follow-up show, Digging Deeper, are already becoming popular community attractions.

The extended Digging Deeper Exhibition at Tullie House, now running until December 23, showcases a series of significant international finds from Carlisle's Roman Bathhouse.

These include carved Roman heads and gemstones, among other relics of Carlisle's Roman past.

The summer phase of excavations in 2023 involved 373 volunteers, with more than 2,000 significant finds, and more than 1,678 volunteer days given by volunteers since 2021.

More than 6,000 people, including 625 local schoolchildren, have already visited the site.

The high-profile dig, which featured in Channel 4/National Geographic's Lost Treasures of Rome and is set to appear as part of the programme Digging for Britain, maintains its momentum and increasingly attracts attention worldwide.