Roman Fountain - Background Carlisle

When St Cuthbert visited Carlisle in the 7th century, he was shown the city walls - and a Roman fountain, still working after 300 years

Two Lives of St Cuthbert, one anonymous dating from c.700, and the other a little later, c,720, by the Venerable Bede, both tell how St Cuthbert visited Carlisle and was treated to what was in effect a Civic Visit, being shown round by the Reeve, a man called Waga, who showed him the Roman Walls - but also 'a marvellously constructed fountain of Roman workmanship' - which apparently was still working three hundred years after the end of Roman involvement in Britain

photo of Carlisle Cathedral and text by Bill Shannon