THE discovery of fragments of Roman pottery and a wine jug on the line of the £30 million Carlisle western by-pass is unlikely to delay the building of the planned road, say Cumbria County Council.

The historic finds were unearthed at a previously-undiscovered stretch of Hadrian’s Wall on the banks of the River Eden, west of Carlisle.

Several fragments of ancient pottery, some reddish fabric and a spike fragment from a Roman wine jug – or amphora – were among the discoveries unearthed.

And remains of the three-metre wide sandstone Roman Wall and evidence of the vallum – an earthwork mound and ditch – were also uncovered.

The full findings of the archaeological dig at Knockupworth Farm were published in a report by the county council this week.

A spokesman for Cumbria County Council said: “We are still in discussion with English Heritage about the most appropriate method of conservation for the remains.

“We still do not expect that the discovery of the fragmented remains of the wall will interfere with the timetable for construction of the CNDR,” he added.

The bypass – or Carlisle Northern Development Route – is seen as crucial in relieving crippling traffic congestion in Carlisle.

The council is currently assessing bids for the contract from four companies.