5/17 Housesteads Roman Fort

This was an exhausting day because I visited two Hadrian's Wall sites and also had to do a lot of walking uphill.  Housesteads is perhaps the biggest site but also the longest walk--one-half mile mostly uphill!  Well worth it, however.  Housesteads had 800 Roman soldiers stationed her, which is a lot of people to feed, house, and manage.  Those Scottish tribes must have been ferocious to warrant such an army along 71 miles of wall!

Here are some information and photos of the site as it originally most likely appeared.

 Some of the things dug up at the site. 

Had I known how difficult this was, I would have used my handicap permit and driven up. 




The Romans built their wall and their forts on a high ridge so they could see for miles away.  Good choice~

One of the old gates.  The wall was originally much higher and there would have been a two-story tower on each side of this entrance.  Most of the stones were no doubt "borrowed" by later generations to build houses and farm walls. 

 

Here is the wall as it continues into the distance.  Another fort would have been about a mile down the wall.  

The granaries had heated floors to keep the grain dry and the mice out. 

 

Aren't these two little lambs adorable!!

I liked this sign by the entrance booth.  Dogs are allowed just about everywhere in the UK, including hiking trails, historical sites, and pubs and restaurants. 

 So far, this is the largest, cleanest, and most elegant B&B or guest house room I have had. This building belonged to the vicar and was the fanciest house in town.  My room had TWO balconies, one private and one shared.

The old bathtubs are huge, and this was no exception.  The bathroom also had a large shower. 

Walked a couple of blocks to the local pub for dinner.  Tiny, so I was lucky to get a table.