Here are a few images from an obscure, or perhaps overlooked, Fort . Some work was done after the First WW , but thats about it and we have few artefacts to look at In the present the remains of the fort are quite meagre and tucked away to the rear of a small park area in a major Lake District resort.
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1438
Ambleside is the head of the Lake (Windermere) , and it would seem that we have a Fort with granaries tha are conspicuously overlarge for its likely size.

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1434

The area is not noted for having been a major area of conflict as the Legions pushed north toward the Stanegate, as it has always (until recent centuries) been sparsely populated.
Nowadays you cant move for tourists , in , on and around the lake itself.

It would seem that we have some species of strategic supply depot or staging post here, the ease of waterborne transport along the length of Windermere from (possibly, the "lost" Fort at Urswick, which itself could have been water served from Deva (I suggest only!)) the south to allow a strategic stockpiling in this location.

Certainly the foundation was of Flavian origin, later a Trajanic-Hadrianic rebuild was placed on a raised platform, one assumes with such close proximity to the largest open body of water in Britain flooding may have occured.

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1437

Glannaventa and Alavanna (previously blogged and photographed ) are its nearest neighbours. The short lived Mediobogdvm is not too far away either.
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1435

The veracity of the name , is as usual, not entirely clear -but everyone still calls it Galava!
http://www.romanmap.com/htm/names/Ambleside.htm

I return from a fruitful photo sweep of the site of this "behind the Wall" strategic fort excavation.
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1412

Corstopitum is a Stanegate (strategic crosss country road) installation, pre-dating Hadrian's Wall but repeatedly rebuilt as a crucial supply depot and major civilian settlement. Only a fraction of the site has been excavated , but we see that there are some impressive items in the museum , and some worthwhile remains on site.The attested extent of the base and its vicus amount to approx 30 acres, from aerial photographic analysis -so what we have displayed at the existing site is a fraction of the developed area.
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1411

The fort evolved from early wooden construction to later stone re-build , via considerable growth and re-planning/rebuilding , to finally function as a strategic HQ for Severus in his Caledonian campaigns.

I know that Augustus is pressing on with his work regarding the Wall Forts and associated defences, though he is a little pressed for time at present . I will give a revised blog linkage to his excellent site when He has had sufficient breathing space to build gallery and information areas.
Here we have the underground strong room where the Soldiers pay was kept.
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1409
The site has some excellent granary foundations , including a mullioned vent duct still in situ ( I must get out more , musnt I?) , and the remains of a public fountain .The dressed rustic style masonry on view shows the quality required for important tactical buildings
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1410
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1408
The Stanegate ran through the early Fort site, later becoming enclosed by the rebuilt and enlarged Fort.

There are some thought ful presentations of Roman deities in the Museum area , in particualr a small portable shrine to Thrice Blessed Hermes:
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1396

The Great Lady is not forgotten:
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1398
We see Minerva (left) aiding Herakles in his great labours:
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1397
Offsite I have a monster upload of images:
http://triclinium.spaces.live.com/

I should add that we now have a nice congruity of museum and re-enactment, as LEG II AVG were an early garisson unit at this site, so if you scroll back down the blog you will see them as late Claudian (onwards) troops in this very locality.

For once I report to you on a non-Roman event. There was a small Norse re-enactment unit attached to a larger Civil War (English) event nearby , so I went in search of interesting items and weapons .

There was a selection of goods and weapons on show.

I have firstly, posted a Northman in general undress with everyday kit , were he to fight a padded jerkin would be neded under a coat of chain mail.This is a man of high status and thus his equipment is of superior finish.
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1388

Secondly we see detail of his high quality ornamentation (from a Norwegian find).
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1390

Thirdly we see the small "pocket version" general use scramseaxe, this version not being the more familiar "broken backed" design.
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1395

In this image the use of the small axe to hamstring (or seek other peripheral weak points ) is demonstrated, note that the man nearest the camera is carrying a full fighting seax.This figure is also kitted with a very high quality helmet.
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1391

Image six , the familiar double edged longsword for hacking.This is a wealthy warrior, the helmet is of the best quality.A lot of low status men would have had to risk fighting bareheaded and getting a "pommelling" with the butt of the longsword.
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1394

Image seven, a less familiar single edged Norwegian blade.This is another copy from a norse hoard.
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1393

Image eight,the heavy Dane axe of the Norse and the Huscarl ,Anglo-Saxon Hearth troops.Capable of cutting through horse and man.The specialised weapon of the best troops.
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1387

Finally an axe fight (though not in full armour).
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1386
The object is to maim by cutting through the collar bone , or seek out peripheral targets such as the hamstrings.

My main observation here is one I have considerd in the "Celtic Swords" section, individuals and retinues of powerful Jarls had good weapons and an organised/dedicated fighting band, however the commonplace warrior had little enough equipment and protective gear.One cannot help but feel a retrograde step has been taken watching the , therefore needful, emphasis on "individual" combat technique. I do not discount the skaldaberg as a steady shield wall strategy , but the swine array seems merely to be a re-invention of roman assault tactics.

There is an off site upload here as usual , with a few more shots of ephemera.(the gallery is "The Vikings!"
http://triclinium.spaces.live.com/
post scriptum! A rather fine shield painting:
http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...si&img=1389