Vindolanda Roman Fort and Museum
Excavations Reveal Well-Preserved Roman Artifacts in England
Located south of Hadrians Wall in Northumberland, visitors are able to see ruins and artifacts unearthed by archaeologists.
Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian’s Wall was built by the Roman army in order to separate the Romans from the Barbarians. Construction began in AD122 by the order of Emperor Hadrian after his visit to Britain. The wall is 81 miles long and stretches from Wallsend in the east to Bowness-on-Solway in the west with an extension to Maryport. It only took six years to complete the construction. Hadrian’s Wall was approximately 15 feet high with turrets, milecastles and forts along the way. In addition, ditches and banks known as the vallum were built as extra protection. Remains of the Wall are visible only in a few places because most of the stones were taken by locals who used them for their houses and farms. Today the Wall is a National Trail and is very popular for a hiking vacation.
Stanegate System
Vindolanda was a Roman fort and settlement built 40 years prior to the construction of Hadrian’s Wall. It was part of series of frontier forts built as the original defense system in Northumbria. Other forts in the Stanegate system were Magna in Carvoran and Coria in Corbridge. They are all located south of the Wall.
Vindolanda
Excavations have uncovered a civilian settlement (Vicus) located outside the fort walls. It was common for settlements to spring up next to forts because of the opportunity to service the needs of the soldiers. At Vindolanda, visitors can find remains of a bath house with a drainage system that allowed water to pass under the floor. Another distinguishable building is a guest house (Mansio) for travelers and dignitaries. There are other buildings unearthed in the settlement though they have not been identified. It is plain to see a main street in the settlement leading up to the fort gates. Inside the fort, visitors can see parts of the fort walls and gates along with the remains of the headquarters building. Excavation is still in progress and it is believed it will take 200 years to complete.
The soil at Vindolanda contains no oxygen therefore, archeologists are finding well-preserved artifacts. In addition, the Romans built a fort on top of an existing fort. For the foundation of the second fort, they covered the first one with clay and turf which created an effective seal.
Chesterholm Country House
The Chesterholm Country house has a museum which contains many artifacts such as Roman shoes, tools, armour, jewellery, clothing and coins. The rarest find are wooden tablets with distinguishable ink writing. It is also the headquarters for the Vindolanda Charitable Trust.
Roman Army Museum
Eight miles further west, is the Roman Army Museum at the site of the Carvoran fort. There has been no excavation done yet but the Museum contains artifacts from Vindolanda. There is an excellent movie called “The Eagles Eye” which provides a re-creation of Roman life and what buildings would have looked like back in the Roman days. There is a short trail from the museum to Walltown Crags where there are remains of Hadrian’s Wall and a turret.
Vindolanda Trust
Both Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum at Carvoran are administered by the Vindolanda Trust which is an independent archaeological charitable trust. It was founded in 1970 with the purpose to excavate and preserve the Roman remains at these two sites. Visitors at Vindolanda can see the archeologists in action during the summer. They also hire volunteers each year to help with the dig. What a great opportunity!
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