The museum explores the roman history of housesteads and showcases some of its stunning finds. Key to site map housesteads follows a text book template, used throughout the empire but adapted to local conditions. Housesteads roman fort, northumberland pfhrf archive. From then the fort seems to have been largely abandoned until the 16 th century, when it was taken over by a lawless community on the angloscottish border. The fort was built in stone around ad 124, soon after the construction of the wall began in ad 122 when the area was part of the roman province of britannia. Buy housesteads roman fort english heritage guidebooks by crow, j. More remarkablyintact remains are at chesters roman fort, built in ad124 and one of 15 forts that were built along the 74 miles of hadrians wall. Construction of hadrians wall along the northern frontier of. It was garrisoned by a regiment recruited from belgium and remained occupied for around 300 years. As james crow charts the development and growth of the fort, as well as the enclosures and features outside its walls, he discusses the builders and occupants, the civilian population. It was housesteads roman fort along hadrians wall, which i visited in 2016.
The fort buildings and finds from them give a real insight into life on the roman frontier. In part this is due to the considerable amount of excavation that has taken place here and. Several of the stories were uniquely creepy as in any collection, there are some stories that are better than others. Housesteads roman fort english heritage guidebooks author. Solitary, beneath the wide northumbrian sky and sprawled across the jagged rampart of the whin sill escarpment, the roman fort at housesteads represents the. Housesteads, on hadrians wall, is one of the most complete roman forts in britain. Lying midway along hadrians wall, housesteads is the most complete example of a roman fort in britain, and one of the. See more ideas about roman britain, roman and britain.
The most complete roman fort in britain lies on the very edge of their empire. Housesteads roman fort the grandest station historic. Extensive excavations were carried out between 1874 and 1981 by newcastle university. Set high on a dramatic escarpment on hadrians wall world heritage site, housesteads roman fort takes you back to the roman empire. Book sites, roman history, book posters, england and scotland, i love reading. The fort was built in stone around ad 124, soon after the construction of the wall began in ad 122 when the area was part of the roman province of. Housesteads roman fort showing north gate, which leads to hadrians wall. Housesteads roman fort, british history publisher her majestys stationery office hmso collection opensource language english. The webs source of information for ancient history. Housesteads roman fort historic sites in haydon bridge. Housesteads roman fort north east england castles, forts and. Volumes 1 and 2 archaeological reports 9781848020269.
Great chesters, known to the romans as aesica, was an infantry fort. Demy octavo, 20cm8in, paperbound with wedgwood blue pictorial covers, pp. Everyday low prices and free delivery on eligible orders. Housesteads is located on a high ridge and covers an area of. More remarkablyintact remains are at chesters roman fort, built in ad124 and one of 15 forts that were built along the. Apr 06, 2015 the roman fort and museum is certainly worth a visit particularly if combined with a visit to vindolanda roman settlement nearby. Rome2rio is a doortodoor travel information and booking engine, helping you get to and from any location in the world. Housesteads roman fort a long way to go for a cup of tea. Housesteads, which is positioned on a dramatic escarpment, also gives you great views and a taste of the scale of hadrians wall. Official guide book to the houesteads roman fort in northumbria.
Today it is the most complete of any roman fort in britain and offers a unique insight into roman military operations. Renowned since the early 19 th century as the grandest station along the wall, housesteads has been the focus of archaeological research for almost 200 years. However, scholastic convention tends toward the use of the words fort, camp, marching camp and fortress as a translation of castrum. Lindsay allasonjones, women in roman britain british museum, london, 1989. The books were part of the library of the eminent historian george macauley trevelyan, who grew up at the family home at wallington in northumberland. Dec, 20 it is surely an irony of history that housesteads has a gang of bandits to thank for its status as the best preserved roman fort in britain, if not northern europe at a time when roman monuments up and down the country were being plundered for building materials, the presence of a notorious band of border reivers at the fort proved a deterrent.
Recently i have become aware of how history and biology seem to merge. Housesteads is one of the most important forts on hadrians wall. Housesteads roman fort, originally known as vercovicium, is one of the best preserved and most important of the forts along hadrians wall built in around 124 ad, housesteads roman fort housed around 1,000 troops and remained in. Housesteads roman fort the grandest station historic england. Liverpool university press is the uks third oldest university press, with a distinguished history of publishing exceptional research since 1899 housesteads is one of the most important forts on hadrians wall. The most dramatic site of hadrians wall and the bestpreserved roman fort in the whole country is at housesteads, 4 miles north of bardon mill on the b6318, and 6. In the roman republic and the roman empire, the latin word castrum plural castra was a building, or plot of land, used as a fortified military camp. The material cared for by english heritage and owned by the national trust is just part of what has been excavated at housesteads roman fort over the last 150 years or so. It was one of twelve permanent forts built by emperor hadrian in about ad 124 for the garrison of his complex new frontier, now known as hadrians. Open all year round and set high on a dramatic escarpment on hadrians wall, housesteads roman fort english heritage takes you back to the roman empire. Hadrians wall could be called the first tollbooth during the anglo saxon period. Some of the rest belongs to the clayton collection and some is on display at the great north museum. Housesteads roman fort feature page on undiscovered scotland. Peer into the oldest toilets youll ever see, and admire the stunning panoramic views from this ancient fortress.
Housesteads roman fort northumberland national park. Housesteads roman fort, better known as vercovicium the the people who worked and lived here over a period of nearly 300 years, is the most iconic of the many roman sites along the length of hadrians wall. Set at one of the highest points of hadrians wall where it climbs to the top of an escarpment, the remains not only convey the spirit of the past but also the beauty of the present. Housesteads roman fort english heritage guidebooks housesteads, owned by the national trust, but in the care of english heritage, is the most complete example of a roman fort to be seen in britain. Housesteads roman fort northumberland oxfams online shop. Hexham to housesteads roman fort 4 ways to travel via. Combining the results with those of excavations done between 1959 and 1961 by. Peer into the ancient communal roman toilets and admire the stunning panoramic views of this world heritage site from this ancient fortress. Known as vercovicium, housesteads roman fort was built during 12232. Its ruins are at housesteads in the civil parish of bardon mill in northumberland, england, south of broomlee lough. Find all the transport options for your trip from housesteads roman fort to hexham right here. In the real world however, things are a bit messier. A cip catalogue record for this book is available from the british library. Like housesteads its playing card shape is aligned with the long axis parallel to the wall and thus didnt straddle it like most other forts.
Find all the transport options for your trip from hexham to housesteads roman fort right here. It was built within a decade of ad 122, when work on the wall began, and was garrisoned by an 800strong infantry regiment until the end of the 4th. Housesteads roman fort north east england castles, forts. By purchasing books through this website, you support our. Head to housesteads roman fort for a real insight into roman military life and discover the past behind the archaeological remains, using the stone walls as a guide around the village south of the fort and envisage the different chambers and rooms. Housesteads roman fort hadrians wall english heritage.
We stock a wide range of books from modern paperback and hardback fiction to specialist nonfiction including travel, biography, sport, art, craft, gardening, cookery and photography, religion and natural history, a range of childrens books and many local interest books. Rome2rio makes travelling from hexham to housesteads roman fort easy. It is aligned towards sunrise, making the east gate the main gate. It lies across a ridge giving great views of the countryside of both england to the south and scotland to the north. History of housesteads roman fort english heritage. Research on housesteads roman fort english heritage. Claire ryley, roman gardens and their plants sussex archaeological society, 1998 chris scarre, the penguin historical atlas of ancient rome penguin books, 1995 c. The roman fort and museum is certainly worth a visit particularly if combined with a visit to vindolanda roman settlement nearby. Housesteads roman fort united kingdom trip historic. From here, high on a ridge and covering 2 hectares, you can survey the moors of northumberland.
Housesteads roman fort, originally known as vercovicium, is one of the best preserved and most important of the forts along hadrians wall. The fort is built so that it incorporates hadrians wall into its northern side. Take an atmospheric wander around the bestpreserved roman fort in britain. Lizs discovery of a set of history books in a shop has thrown new light on how housesteads roman fort on hadrians wall in northumberland came to be saved for the nation.
Dec 04, 2012 as seen on skyeye britain launching in early 20. Housesteads roman fort english heritage guidebooks. Housesteads is one the best preserved forts in the country. The concept behind this book was to ask 8 british authors to create a ghost story set in historical english sites. Sep 15, 2009 housesteads is one of the most important forts on hadrians wall. Those with limited mobility may struggle to access the fort at housesteads as access involves a fairly steep climb of about half a mile. Wells, the roman empire fontana history of the ancient world, 1992 roman britain. The wall romes greatest frontier alistair moffat paperback. J hodgson, history of northumberland, part 2, vol 3 newcastle upon tyne, 1840, 18595. A visit to hadrians wall 3 housesteads fort published on april 24, 2016 may 5, 2016 by milliethom 57 comments housesteads fort roman name vercovicium is a wonderful place to visit for its location and views alone but its also the best preserved of all the forts along the wall. Housesteads roman fort collection english heritage.
Housesteads roman fort news newspapers books scholar. Rome2rio makes travelling from housesteads roman fort to hexham easy. Housesteads fort roman name vercovicium is a wonderful place to visit for its location and views alone but its also the best preserved of all the forts along the wall. Media in category housesteads roman fort the following 55 files are in this category, out of 55 total. Built in around 124 ad, housesteads roman fort housed around 1,000 troops and remained in use until the fourth century. Welcome to housesteads interested in becoming a member.
Combining the results with those of excavations done between 1959 and 1961 by durham university, we now have a complete plan of the northeast part of the fort. Buy housesteads roman fort english heritage guidebooks by crow, james isbn. Housesteads fort stands on hadrians wall a defensive frontier that runs from wallsendontyne to bownessonsolway. Housesteads roman fort housesteads, known to the romans as vercovicium the place of effective fighters is the most complete roman fort in britain.
Hadrians wall great chesters to birdoswald hadrians. History of housesteads roman fort lying midway along hadrians wall, housesteads is the most complete example of a roman fort in britain, and one of the bestknown from the entire roman empire. Hexham to housesteads roman fort 4 ways to travel via bus. Jan 21, 2014 the most complete example of a british roman fort, housesteads features magnificent ruins and stunning views of the countryside surrounding hadrians wall. Housesteads as it was this artists conception show what housesteads roman fort and the outlying village might have looked like in the second century ad. History and biology, for example, are taught in different buildings, have different coloured exercise books, and have staff who occupy different corners of the staffroom. Housesteads is the most popular site on hadrians wall, with its wellexcavated remains bringing us closer to the 800 men who garrisoned the fort at any one time. Housesteads roman fort is the remains of an auxiliary fort on hadrians wall. Housesteads roman fort english heritage guidebooks book. What is now northumberland, england was once part of the roman frontier and probably the best preserved roman forts anywhere is housesteads.
Housesteads roman fort was a large infantry fort constructed along the line of hadrians wall. Housesteads roman fort to hexham 4 ways to travel via bus. The most complete example of a british roman fort, housesteads features magnificent ruins and stunning views of the countryside surrounding hadrians wall. Plus, you might just see some of the oldest toilets around. It is surely an irony of history that housesteads has a gang of bandits to thank for its status as the best preserved roman fort in britain, if not northern europe at a time when roman monuments up and down the country were being plundered for building materials, the presence of a notorious band of border reivers at the fort proved a deterrent. Housesteads roman fort, bardon mill, northumberland reference. Its a world heritage site and is owned by the national trust and managed by english heritage. In english, the terms roman fort, roman camp and roman fortress are commonly used for castrum. While we work hard to conserve this special place for future generations, everyone can help look after this fragile and unique world heritage site.
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