Caroline Stow

These end sections of the western wall were built looking out over the Solway Firth and wind around and along the seacoast. They may not initially have been like the wide stone walls to the east, but there is plenty of evidence of dykes and earth banks. These fortifications would have served a serious purpose as it would have been much more likely that hostile forces would have moved by sea rather than over land.

This is where the hills give way to mud flats and sinking sands, but also navigable channels which left the empire vulnerable. But even though no substantive ruins remain of the fort at Drumburgh to recall the people who once lived and worked here, I was excited to discover that this section of the wall was once important enough for it to have been commemorated in first century souvenirs. It is these that remain, even if the forts themselves have disappeared. I leant about the ‘Ilam pan’ (so called because it was discovered near the village of Ilam in the Peak District) in the excellent reference library in Kendal, and then followed up my discoveries with a classicist friend, who confirmed that the Romans were as keen as we are to bring back mementos of their travels.

Among the most popular from Britain were enamelled bronze dishes and cups which reflected the Celtic artistic traditions which remained strong. The Ilam pan is one of three small, enamelled bronze vessels with the names of the forts along this section of the wall engraved around their rim. They were all found some distance away from the wall, in central and southern England and in France. The Ilam cup also included the Roman name ‘Draco’, and so maybe this cup was especially engraved for him. For me, it gives rise to speculation about a veteran of the Roman Army living and working here who had a local craftsman personalise his drinking cup whilst he was on active duty in the Northwest. We have no idea why it ended up in the Peak District of course.

Maybe he had settled there permanently, maybe he lost it on the way home, or traded it when he needed to. But it is likely that it was once something in daily use.