Carlisle Cricket Club releases plans for new exhibition and education centre

It would be part of a brand new pavilion facility at Carlisle Cricket Club’s Edenside ground, which became the focus of national attention after a survey of the site uncovered an impressive hoard of priceless Roman artefacts, many of them with imperial links.

Digs at the site - adjacent to Eden Bridge and north of the city - uncovered coins, jewellery, arrowheads, a soldier’s tombstone, and an inscription stone praising the Roman Empress Julia Domna.

Some experts believe the site’s complex of Roman buildings - which included a military bath-house with third century ‘central heating’ - may have been used for a time to accommodate Domna, her sons, and even the Emperor himself, Septimius Severus.

During the Roman occupation, Carlisle was effectively the Roman Empire’s northern HQ for Hadrian’s Wall.

When the cricket ground’s previously hidden history was unexpectedly revealed in 2017, there was huge excitement, with hundreds of volunteers offering to help experts from the Wardell Armstrong archaeology and heritage firm as they carried out the second of their two digs.

One archaeologist summed up the quality of the treasures the digs uncovered as “Premier League”.

“We believe that this new facility could do for Carlisle what the Jorvik Viking Centre did for York,” said Mike Rayson, chairman of Carlisle Cricket Club.

“We need a new pavilion at the ground anyway because there’s a history of flooding: it’s been flooded four times since 2005, with 18 inches of water in the club in 2009 and 7ft in 2015.

“The new pavilion will have flood resilience built into it, to a level of flooding 1.5 metres above the levels of Storm Desmond.

“The Roman archaeology that’s been found is just too good an opportunity to miss. It can’t just be ignored. The people of Carlisle want to see it exhibited.”

It is known that the Emperor Septimius Severus led a military campaign against the tribes north of Hadrian’s Wall which began in 208, and this involved a Roman fighting force estimated to have been 50,000 strong.

It is entirely possible that the campaign brought him to Carlisle.

Frank Giecco, who led the archaeological dig for Wardell Armstrong, said the excavation had thrown up fascinating links to the Emperor’s court.

“There are links with the Emperor Severus,” said Frank. “He died in York in 210 and the bath-house complex we found was built around that period.

“We found [roof] vualting tubes which are north African in design and that’s where he came from, bringing that technology with him.

“And there were imperial stamped tiles, which are a direct connection with the Roman imperial court. It screams out that something important was going on in Carlisle; something out of the ordinary.

“When someone that important comes to town you build something vast. The Emperor himself might have stayed there [at the Carlisle site] or it might have been his family. So far, we’ve excavated about a third of what’s there.

“It would be fantastic if Carlisle could make something of this site. It’s the highest status Roman find we’ve had in Carlisle and one of national significance.”

Enthusiastic support for the plans has come John Scott, coordinator of the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage Site.

“This is just a great opportunity for Carlisle,” he said.

“Hadrian’s Wall is a world heritage site which extends all the way from Newcastle across rural Northumberland into north Cumbria and runs along the edge of Carlisle.

“From an archaeological point of view, Carlisle is of fundamental importance. It was classed as a civitas, a civilian ruled settlement and the only one north of York. It was effectively the HQ for Hadrian’s Wall during its 300 year life.

“It would be great to bring that back to life.”

John Mallinson, Leader of Carlisle City Council, also welcomed the Cricket Club plans. “It would be absolutely excellent if this could happen,” he said.
“It would, I am sure, be a very challenging project but it’s a wonderful idea.

“I really hope it can be brought to fruition.

“I’m sure that the City Council will be supportive. Obviously, it’s a difficult time to plan for the future as we’re living in dire times with the coronavirus but it’s good that people are looking to the future and a time when we can pick up the threads of normal life and endeavour to make Carlisle a better place.

“We need to aspire to greater things.”

It is hoped the proposed new pavilion and archaeology centre will be funded from a combination of sources, including the club’s own cash, and bodies such Sport England, Historic England and the England and Wales Cricket Board.

Planners will consider the planning application in the next few months.

If funding is found, the project could be completed by 2023.