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Alavanna (watercrook -kendal).


Pertinax

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Appalling weather again in Brigantia , but I havent returned entirely empty handed. I have some shots of the site of the Fort at Alavanna. This is a bit of a problem in terms of naming, as you will be aware Alavanna Carvetorium is modern Maryport, and if my shakey Latin is any good I understand Alavanna tends to be interpreted as "the beautiful place" -fair enough (and please comment accordingly Latin scholars) because a lot of the sites are gloriously set in verdant landscapes. Here though we have a problem , Mediobogdum( fort in a bow?) would seem to be an appropriate name given the location within an oxbow bend of the River Kent, but that name seems to have stuck to the Hardknott pass fort further west toward Glannaventa (Ravenglass).The Fort is mostly unexcavated but we do now know that a Flavian construction date is strongly supported, on the ground the soft outlines of the decayed outer defences mark the area .The Kent would have supported water borne traffic in shallow draft craft to this site.

 

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=696

 

http://www.unrv.com/forum/index.php?act=mo...&cmd=si&img=697

 

this site will repay a visit on a sunnier day.

 

It is possible that the XXth made a tactical "retreat " here from their unfinished Inchtuthill fortress in the far north.

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Sorry about the weather! It's been all over the place here as well.

 

Regardless did you have fun? At least find a good pint and some decent fare?

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Sorry about the weather! It's been all over the place here as well.

 

Regardless did you have fun? At least find a good pint and some decent fare?

 

I was unable to shoot at Ambleside or Carlisle, which I was keen to do for the blog, but the rain was never ending. However I did see a hawking display near Penrith and as the gallery shows , I visited an Alpaca farm, hence I commend alpaca wool socks to you all.

 

http://www.axos.co.uk/sykehouse/alpcent.html

 

I also found that I enjoy Ostrich pate with Jennings Beer.

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Perhaps this is a basic question...but is Alavanna in any way connected to Arthurian Avalon? I know there's a metathesis (switiching) of consonants...but it still rang a bell.

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Perhaps this is a basic question...but is Alavanna in any way connected to Arthurian Avalon? I know there's a metathesis (switiching) of consonants...but it still rang a bell.

 

No Arthurian hints in either of the named locations-most locals dont even know Alavanna (Watercrook ) even exists! Carvetorium is a big pivotal maritime/Wall defence fulcrum but , (and this is my pet theory) has no record of Sarmatian auxiliae in late period history.I was trying to find a name from lowland Scotland that had a hint of "camelot" about it but it eludes me at present (the Sarmatiae were in this area).

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