A TRUST established to manage a Roman fort in the Borders has appointed a member of the royal family as its patron.

The Trimontium Trust, which oversees the Roman fort near Newstead, has announced that the Duke of Gloucester will be its new patron, as renovation works at the museum in Melrose begin.

John Reid, chairman of the Trimontium Trust said: “It is a great honour for the trust to have a patron of such high standing.

“Trimontium is one of the most important Roman sites in the UK and His Royal Highness will help us raise awareness of the importance of the unique Roman and native hillfort heritage in the Scottish Borders, which is home to not only the important Roman site of Trimontium, but one of the highest concentrations of Iron Age hillforts in Europe.”

Construction work to renovate the museum in Melrose’s Ormiston Institute is scheduled to start next month.

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The £1.3 million project – supported by the National Lottery Heritage Fund (NLHF), the South of Scotland Economic Partnership (SoSEP), Scottish Borders Council (SBC) and Museums Galleries Scotland (MGS) – will include the creation of more display space, a more direct entry into the museum, an improved visitor reception space and the creation of a new, state-of-the-art digital interpretation of the Roman site of Trimontium.

The Roman fort was occupied for more than 100 years from the 1st to 3rd centuries AD and at its peak it is believed to have housed up to 3,000 people, including more than 1,500 soldiers.

Key finds made at Trimontium include parade helmets, bronze wine jugs, military equipment (including swords, axes and spears), blacksmiths tools and farming implements, human and animal remains, and writing tablets.