It began when an archaeological investigation for a new flood proof cricket pavilion at Carlisle Cricket Club in 2017 led to the discovery of the bathhouse. A formerly unknown high-ranking imperial Roman bathhouse, and the largest building on Hadrian’s Wall.

At first the dig was funded by Carlisle City Council (now Cumberland Council) and supported by local firm Storey Construction, archaeologists from Wardell Armstrong and volunteers uncovered remains of an underfloor heating system (hypocaust), and vast quantities of pottery, bone, and metal artefacts. Most significantly however was an exceptional engraved stone fragment, seemingly dedicated to the Empress Julia Domna (193 - 211 AD).

This discovery prompted a successful bid to the National Lottery Heritage Funded (NLHF) in 2021/2022, which became URC. Formed from a partnership of Carlisle Cricket Club, Cumberland Council, Wardell Armstrong LLP (the archaeological branch of a local multidisciplinary consultancy), and Tullie (Cumberland’s largest museum and art gallery) and volunteers.

Now the dig has become an independent charity able to continue the work and uncovering Carlisle’s Roman past together with a large group of volunteers - The Diggers!

URC seeks to make heritage accessible to new audiences through a wide variety of activity and negating the typical barriers to participation. You can join us for weeks, a day, or an afternoon.

URC is an urban archaeological site available to be engaged with easily for free, on excellent transport links.

The Tullie led exhibitions give further opportunity to get involved. Using volunteer experience, URC volunteers create object biographies for the artefacts they had discovered and presented them through interpretation panels and Audio-Visual means. ‘Volunteer Voices’ are an integral part of the exhibitions’ ethos and interpretation.

The largest building on Hadrian’s Wall so far.

Subsequent discoveries by The Diggers has been essential in uncovering over 7,000 significant finds, and well over 20,000. Among these; 900+ Roman coins from centuries of occupation, 300+ hair pins, 200+ Imperial stamped tiles (tiles literally fit for an emperor), North African style vaulting tubes for roof construction, hundreds of stunning glass beads, gaming pieces, even a rare Roman doll’s foot.

Significantly, 80 intaglios have been discovered in the drains. These are magnificently carved gemstones which dropped from Roman signet rings when the glue holding them melted in the bathhouse heat. It is the largest collection of intaglios from any singe context in the UK, discovered by volunteers aged 8 to 80.  These have transformed our understanding of Roman Britain, and now it is confirmed that Carlisle had it’s own school of engravers making these beautiful stones.

In 2023 was the discovery of two monumental carved Roman heads by a volunteer on their first ever dig. These heads are utterly unique, and truly the find of a lifetime.

Since then we have discovered the only example of a lump of Tyrian Purple dye in Northern Europe, a carved dolphin and Fortuna head, and temple.

In 2024 and 2025 our knowledge of the size, and the importance of the site has grown, with hundreds of Imperial stamped tiles being discovered. The size of the main building grew and new features discovered. To the sound the temple and a great collection of ritual objects discovered, and even a well.

In 2026 the excavations continue and the site surrenders more of it’s secrets.

3D Scans of the site in 2022 and objects can be found here.

There have now been;

·        15 excavations.

·        4 exhibitions (one touring 10 venues across the area).

·        4000+ volunteer places.

·        20,000+ site visitors.

·        100+ talks to over 3000 people.

·        14,500+ visited Tullie’s two temporary exhibitions in 2022, and 2023.

·        6,000+ visited the touring exhibition.

·        4,262 individuals have viewed the digitised artefacts on-line in the UK North-West Virtual Exhibition.

·        4000 pupils participated in the learning program.

·        International visitors from 40 countries visited or participated.

URC has highlighted Carlisle in international media. Most recently in Great Railway Journeys on the BBC and on Digging for Britain, with Professor Alice Roberts joining the volunteers. URC features in the Nat Geo documentary “Lost Mysteries of the Roman Empire.” This has allowed wider engagement and further, global appreciation of Carlisle as a visitor destination.

The Evaluation of the National Lottery Heritage Funded 2021 - 2022 project can be downloaded here.

We want URC to benefit people first, and to be open about the impacts of the Project.

We take volunteer surveys each year to gauge people’s experience and to learn. Thank you to all the volunteers who took time to respond.

2024 Volunteer survey in-house. May – July. 100 responses, 24% of 2024 volunteers.

•99% enjoyed themselves and had fun

•95% of volunteers reported improved wellbeing.

•69% felt fitter and healthier

•97% connected with people

•76% felt better about themselves

•95% would like to volunteer on a similar project again

•56% reported they gained skills for future employment, study, or volunteering.

•70% local volunteers – 23% deprived wards

Uncovering Roman Carlisle was recognised for providing high quality engagement and the project won 3 national/international awards in 2023 and 1 in 2021. URC won awards from the Council for British Archaeology (CBA) and the Society for Museum Archaeology. The winning awards were:

- Public Dissemination or Presentation (sponsored by the Institute of Archaeologists of Ireland) – CBA

- Learning, Training, and Skills (sponsored by Archaeological Management Solutions - AMS) – CBA

- Society for Museum Archaeology Engagement Project of the Year Award.

- Council of British Archaeology and Marsh Charitable Trust’s Community Archaeology Project of the Year 2021, with a Project Archaeologist nominated for Community Archaeologist 2021.

for 2026, we are delighted to have been nominated by Current Archaeology for Research Project of the Year, with “Fit for an emperor? Excavating a monumental building from Roman Carlisle” If you want to support us, have a look and vote for us!

Not only do we have the privilege of welcoming volunteers from across the world, stories covering the dig and it’s discoveries have been reported on in over 40 countries.

Throughout the EU, America, Commonwealth, and Asia. Reported on in international magazines, Nat Geo (France, Germany, Italy, UK, USA, Spain), Smithsonian Magazine, British Archaeology, BBC, ITV, ITV Borders, Radio Cumbria, Cumbria Crack, News and Star, an NHK (Japanese national broadcaster) documentary, BBC Digging for Britain with Alice Roberts, and National Geographic Documentary “Lost Mysteries of the Roman Empire.”

We will feature in the newest series of Digging for Britain in 2026, available on BBC I-player from 7th of January.

Archaeology engages and speaks to people across cultures and the globe.

You can see some of the objects from the dig anywhere in the world through these 3d scans.

Scans have been done very kindly by Commendium, Sewels, and Liverpool University working with Tullie and the volunteers.

This is one of the many ways people have so generously given their time and expertise to make URC better, and for the benefit of everyone. With a good 3d scan, anyone can study and appreciate these objects anywhere.

3d object scans – first link to the intaglio and selection of scanned objects and other artefacts.

Here are the site scans from earlier phases.

Here is the Roman drains, truly a treasure trove where much of the most delicate finds came from, including the intaglio.