Site map of Roman Fort in Kirkbride
Kirkbride has a rich history, from being a Roman seaport to a World War II Royal Airforce base. The hill where St Bride's Church sits has commanding views over the Solway plain and was an ideal site for the Roman fort that was there. Above is a site map of the Roman fort from which the Stanegate ran. The Stanegate was a military road that reached to the end of Hadrian's Wall in the east of Newcastle. During Roman times the sea came much closer and Kirkbride was a seaport. Saxton's map of Cumbria shows this to be the case as late as 1567. Nowadays the sea only comes close during very high tides but it always seems to catch out at least one motorist.