Overlooking the choppy waters of the Solway Firth, Senhouse Roman Museum contains artefacts unearthed from the adjoining Roman fort of Alauna. The collection was started by Maryport’s Senhouse family in the sixteenth century and is now the largest display of Roman military altar stones in the UK. Other significant items in the collection include tombstones, phallic carvings and the tiny statue of a household god, or ‘genius’. The most recent finds, including coins, jewellery and an altar, were discovered during digs between 2011 and 2015.
An observation tower within the grounds of the museum, on the northern edge of Maryport, enables visitors to get an aerial perspective on the fort’s earthworks – as well as an excellent view out across the Solway to the Scottish hills.
