The collection of Roman inscribed stones and sculpture, together with
other Roman objects found at Maryport in Cumbria, is the oldest
archaeological collection in Britain still in private hands. Today, it
is housed in the Senhouse Roman Museum on Sea Brows to the north of the
modern town of Maryport. Beside the museum the earthworks of the Roman
fort may still be seen, and beyond it, though not visible, lies a large
civil settlement revealed through geophysical survey and the scene of
two recent excavations. 'Maryport: A Roman Fort and its community'
places the collection in context and describes the history of research
at the site. Maryport, although at the north-western edge of the Roman
Empire, provides material of international importance for our
understanding of the Roman state.