Alavana

Alavana is a Roman military fort in Cumbria located south of Kendal that now lies buried beneath farmland. The remains include stone walls and defensive structures dating to different construction periods, positioned near the River Kent.

The fort was initially built in timber around 90 AD and later reconstructed in stone under Emperor Hadrian around 130 AD. It remained operational until roughly 270 AD, serving as an important outpost throughout this period.

The fort served as a meeting place where Roman soldiers and local people encountered each other and exchanged goods. These interactions shaped the daily life of the surrounding region.

The fort lies beneath modern farmland and is not directly accessible, but excavated artifacts can be seen at Kendal Museum. Visitors interested in the site can walk the landscape and observe where Roman structures once stood.

The fort was long thought to be the Roman city of Alavana, but scholars later identified it as Medibogdo based on its strategic position at a river bend. This reidentification proved crucial for mapping the Roman military network in northern England.