I mentioned in an earlier post, about the Falkirk Wheel, that the boat trip through the Roughcastle Tunnel takes you under the Antonine Wall.

It’s only a short walk uphill from the Tunnel’s entrance to some remains of the wall. Unlike its perhaps more famous counterpart further south, the stone built Hadrian’s Wall, the Antonine Wall was only ever a turfed barrier with a ditch. It’s all overgrown now:-

Information board:-

Vindolanda Roman Fort, Northumberland, was our next stop on Hadrian’s Wall. It’s in the hands of a charitable trust.

This is the view from the entrance. The building in the background right is a replica tower:-

This is a model of the fort (in the museum at Vindolanda):-

On the way down to the remains you pass these wells and water cisterns:-

Replica tower:-

The tower gives you a feel as to how it would have been to garrison the place. This is the view south from the tower battlements:-

Roman remains from the replica tower:-

Most of the inside of the perimeter of Birdoswald is empty space. Only a few remains poke above the ground.

East gate of Roman Fort:-

A ruined tower:-

An internal wall:-

Inside fort:-

Hadrian’s Wall from inside fort:-

The main reason for our trip to Cumbria in April was to take in the two excavated Roman Forts open to the public we had not yet visited.

The first was at Birdoswald, near Gilsland.

On approaching the remains from the car park which is a bit down a small hill you meet this board telling you you are outside the Roman Empire. (As someone born in Caledonia I was quite comfortable with that!)

The wall behind the board:-

The wall with the board to the left:-

Information board:-

Ruins at Birdoswald. The Victorian building erected on the site is to the right here:-

Reverse view of ruins, Victorian building to left:-

Brampton is a small town in Cumbria near Hadrian’s Wall east of Carlisle. We visited it in April since an elderly friend ours was brought up there.

Looking east along main street:-

Looking west:-

Town centre showing Moot Hall:-

Moot Hall closer view:-

Looking west from Moot Hall:-

A lane in Brampton:-

Buildings near Moot Hall:-

Buildings:-

On our wanderings round the town we came upon this statue of the Emperor Hadrian:-

For a lot of its course the B 6318 runs parallel to Hadrian’s Wall. I assume it follows the old Roman Road that must have run east-west south of the wall. (Parts of the B 6318 are very straight indeed.)

Many remnants of the wall remain and can be seen from the road. They look more substantial in real life than in the photos. Pictures taken from the passenger side:-

At Housesteads Fort many boards supply information about the fort and its life.

The wall arrives:-

Fort Entrance:-

Headquarters building:-

The commanding officer’s house:-

On eof the problems at Housesteads was the water supply. The fort is built on the crest of a hill with no nearby water source. They had to make do with rain water or cart water from a stream fairly far off.

Food was less of a problem:-

Bread for the troops:-

Mediterranean style:-

Changes over the years:-

The vicus. Buildings outside the fort:-

Hadrian’s Wall from northeast corner of Housesteads Fort:-

Hadrian’s Wall going east from Housesteads:-

Hadrian’s Wall from northwest corner of Housesteads Fort:-

West Gate, Housesteads Fort:-

See my previous post on Housesteads.

Remains of barracks:-

Barracks information boards:-

Looking after the soldiers:-

Central buildings:-

Hypocaust stones:-

The latrines were placed at the fort’s lowest corner – the south-east – so that rainwater would flush them out:-

Housesteads Fort was one of the main forts situated along Hadrian’s Wall.

From the car park at the visitor centre it’s a fair walk into a valley and up again to the fort itself which is located on the crest of a hill-

Information board:-

Housesteads Fort Model (in the museum, housed in an old farm building hard by the fort):-

Fort design information board:-

Housesteads Fort from west:-

Administration Buildings:-