Published: Thursday, 10th December, 2009 9:03am
Was Largs a Roman holiday resort?
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In this week's 'Know Your News' we head back to the distant past when the beautiful surroundings of Largs proved attractive to the Romans.
In 1958, St Columba's Parish Church Fellowship had a most interesting evening "Hearin' Aboot Auld Largs" from Mr Duncan Brown.
Mr Brown traced Largs to the days when the Romans resided by its shores. He spoke of the finds of old Roman coins and paving underneath the Post Office in Main Street in 1820; also of a Roman well found in Nelson Street while Knock Hill had been a Roman Fort.
Many old buildings were commented on such as Bath Hall (The Brisbane Centre) built around 1830 for £2000. This had baths, coffee room and library, An ancient inn called "The Brisbane Arms" was used by smugglers and from these coaches left for the south.
A link with the days of an active church in Skelmorlie Aisle was recently discovered in the walls of a shop in Main Street. Here was found a red sandstone fireplace and also a doorway, remnants of a "Kirk House" leading to the precincts of the aisle.
A lively tale was also given of a young Largs man called David Wilson. This unfortunate young man was press-ganged into the Navy while he was at his work on the Cumbraes and was not able to return home for 20 years.
During that time he had taken part in the Battle of Trafalgar, having served on the H.M.S Victory. On his return to Largs he had a cobbler's business in Frazer Street.
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myohmyohmy
Unregistered User
Dec 14 09 22:39
Comment: 7009
Oh yes indeed. They came, they saw, they had a paddle and ate some ice cream,
Where the coins were found must have been the location of the 'Magnus Pomum' an ancient amusement arcade where the weary legionnaires who had come down the water from their positions guarding the Antonine Wall would waste a few coins on the penny falls machines, some of which are still in use at the Cumbrean to this day.
Sadly the Roman were to tire of Largs as a tourist spot, due in part to the lack of parking for their chariots and the trouble that they got caught up in, caused by young Celts and Huns who would battle whenever the Saxon fair came to town at the end of every summer.
(By the way Knock Hill was NEVER a Roman fort)
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Simon
Unregistered User
Dec 16 09 16:11
Comment: 7047
While I think the Roman occupation at Largs is vastly overstated in the article, and I really do love your humourous view of off-duty legionaries eating candy floss and going on the helter skelter, I'd have to argue your last point. While Largs was never a civic settlement, there was a turf-walled Antonine fortlet at Knock Hill that has been verified.
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Charlie Mitchell
Unregistered User
Dec 16 09 19:52
Comment: 7054
Roman activities are still conducted to this day with modern chariot races down Gateside street.
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myohmyohmy
Unregistered User
Dec 21 09 16:34
Comment: 7135
Verified by whom?
Knockhill does not appear on any list of Roman forts/fortlets in Scotland that i have seen. It does however appear on maps for Iron age forts in Scotland and that is the most plausible as it dates back to 500bc.
The Roman finds in Largs have not been significant enough to suggest there was a Roman fort there. Indeed, the coins that have been found probably belonged to local inhabitants who were trading with the Romans.
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Unregistered User
Apr 2 10 05:04
Comment: 10097
wow..
tats great...
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