A NEW group is being set up in Carlisle to further the work of an archaeological dig.

The dig was recently undertaken at Carlisle Cricket club.

A Roman bath house and a previously unknown road were uncovered.

The new group is being set up as a community group attached to the Roman Roads Research Association (RRRA) which has members all over Britain.

The first project will be to try and trace the continuation of the road that was uncovered in the Carlisle Cricket Club excavations.

It will involve geophysical surveys of the cricket field.

These surveys should reveal structures beneath the ground at depths up to two feet.

The RRRA will be bringing machines from Yorkshire to undertake the survey.

It is hoped that the surveys can be extended to Rickerby Park and surrounding areas once permissions have been obtained.

The Association and its members have already discovered hundreds of miles of unknown Roman roads in Cumbria.

It is hoped the new group will be able to discover more new roads as well as pinpoint the exact locations of roads that are known but the exact route has not been defined.

The new group are holding their first meeting at the Museum of Military Life in Carlisle Castle at 10:30am on Saturday.

They will be addressed byMike Haken, the chair of the RRRA.

He will explain exactly what to look for in a Roman road. The meeting is free to anyone who wants to attend.

Chester Forster, a RRRA representative said : "When the excavation at Carlisle Cricket Club ended there was tremendous enthusiasm to continue the work undertaken by Wardell Armstrong and their archaeologists and knowing that this company is dependent on outside funding, I decided to ask the volunteers if they would be interested in setting up an amateur group.

“So far 25 people have come forward to say they are interested in furthering the work that has already been undertaken and many more have expressed an interest."

More information about Roman roads in Cumbria can be found at www.romanroads.org.

If you would like to get involved, the group are meeting at the Museum of Military Life in Carlisle Castle at 10:30am on Saturday.