Carlisle's Roman bath excavation project to return

Archaeologists and volunteers are to return to an excavation of a Roman bathhouse that has previously yielded more than 2,000 artefacts.

The project at a site near Carlisle Cricket Club, where two sculptures were found in May, will recommence on Saturday for one week.

The bathhouse was located in what was once a cobbled Roman road close to Hadrian's Wall in the city.

Cumberland Council said volunteer spaces for the dig were limited.

More than 2,000 items - including pottery, weapons, coins and semi-precious stones - have been found at the site since 2021.

Some have been described as being of "international significance", with the pair of Roman god sculptures discovered in May thought to date back as far as AD200.

The sandstone heads once formed part of sculptures standing 12-15 ft (3.5-4.5m) high.

Councillor Anne Quilter said: "The mini-dig will be a small evaluation, comprising a single trench over the Roman road looking at activity to the south of the road, typically where Roman shops and other buildings would be found."

The project is run by Wardell Armstrong, whose technical director Frank Giecco said: "It'll be a very interesting week at the mini-dig as we look to answer more questions about the site with the volunteers."

The excavation will be free to visit and open from 10:00 BST to 16:00.

Follow BBC North East & Cumbria on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram. Send your story ideas to [email protected].