Housesteads Roman Fort
Housesteads Roman Fort, perched high on the Whin Sill ridge, is one of the most complete and atmospheric sites along Hadrian’s Wall. Its dramatic position gives a real sense of what life was like for soldiers stationed on Rome’s northern frontier. Founded around AD 124, the fort housed around 800 infantrymen and developed into a self‑contained community with barracks, workshops and storerooms. Inside the fort, the granaries are among the best preserved in Britain. Their raised floors, still clearly visible, were designed to keep grain dry and safe from vermin. The commanding officer’s house offers a glimpse of higher‑status living, with traces of heating systems and private rooms. The hospital, identifiable by its unusual layout, shows the importance of medical care in a remote outpost. One of the most fascinating features is the latrine block, a rare survival that illustrates Roman engineering and daily routines with surprising clarity. The barrack blocks reveal how soldiers lived in tight, organised units, each room once shared by a contubernium of eight men.
Hexham United Kingdom
You will find it at Housesteads Roman Fort, Hadrian's Wall, Haydon Bridge, Bardon Mill, Hexham, Northumberland NE47 6NN. It sits right on the B6318 Military Road, high up on the Whin Sill ridge in the middle of Northumberland National Park. It is known to the Romans as Vercovicium and is the most complete Roman fort left in Britain. You park at the visitor centre and walk about ten minutes uphill to the fort itself, with huge views along the Wall in both directions. Very close by you have Vindolanda Roman Fort and Museum, famous for the amazing wooden writing tablets and ongoing excavations, and the Roman Army Museum at Carvoran which is really good for kids. Along the Wall itself you can walk to Milecastle 37, Sycamore Gap and Sewingshields Crags, all part of the same World Heritage site. Down the road is Chesters Roman Fort and Museum at Chollerford, which has the best preserved Roman bathhouse in Britain and a lovely riverside setting. For a break from Romans, The Sill National Landscape Discovery Centre is just down the hill with exhibitions and a great cafe, and Hexham not far away has the beautiful Hexham Abbey and the Old Gaol museum.
Museum
Museum