Housesteads is the best-preserved Roman fort on Hadrian's Wall, the great wall that for almost three centuries marked the north-western frontier of the Roman Empire in Britain. Perched on the crest of an escarpment, with the Wall running along the hills in both directions, it offers one of the most stirring views in the whole of northern England. Here you walk among the barracks, granaries, hospital and the famous communal latrines of the Roman soldiers.
History
In AD 122 Emperor Hadrian visited Britain and ordered a wall to be built from coast to coast, about 117 kilometres long, from the River Tyne to the Solway Firth. Along the wall stood small forts every Roman mile and, at greater intervals, large forts for the garrisons. Housesteads, known to the Romans as Vercovicium, was built around 124 and housed some 800 soldiers, for a long time a cohort of Tungrians, from what is now Belgium. Outside the fort walls a civilian settlement grew up, with shops, taverns and houses. Since 1987 Hadrian's Wall has been a UNESCO World Heritage Site, part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire.
- AD 122Hadrian orders the building of the Wall
- c. AD 124The fort of Vercovicium is built
- 3rd centuryA cohort of Tungrians garrisons the fort
- c. AD 400End of the Roman military presence
- 1987Hadrian's Wall becomes a UNESCO World Heritage Site
What to see
The fort
The fort has the classic rectangular "playing card" shape, with four gates. Inside you can make out the headquarters, the commanding officer's house with its heating system, the hospital, the soldiers' barracks and the granaries, with their floors raised on small pillars to keep the grain dry and ventilated. The most photographed spot is the latrines, among the best preserved in the Roman world: a row of seats over a channel of running water, where soldiers sat side by side and cleaned themselves with a sponge on a stick.
The museum
A small museum displays objects found in the fort and the settlement, such as altars, coins, jewellery and tools, and a reconstruction tells the story of daily life for the soldiers, who came from every corner of the Empire.
The Wall and the trail
From Housesteads you can walk along the Wall, which runs along the rocky crests of the Whin Sill. Heading west, the path leads in about an hour to Sycamore Gap, where a famous sycamore tree stood until 2023, and then on to Steel Rigg, with spectacular views over Crag Lough. It is one of the finest stretches of the Hadrian's Wall Path national trail, 135 kilometres long.
Practical information
The fort is owned by the National Trust and managed by English Heritage. From the car park and visitor centre it is about an 800-metre uphill walk. The site is very exposed to the wind: bring a jacket even in summer. Opening times and prices are published on the English Heritage and National Trust websites.
Getting there
- By train: on the line between Newcastle and Carlisle, to Bardon Mill or Haydon Bridge, then a taxi.
- By bus: in summer the AD122 bus links the main Wall sites.
- By car: along the B6318, the military road that follows the Wall; pay car park.
- By air: Newcastle Airport is about an hour away.
Nearby
- The fort of Vindolanda, with its writing tablets, a few kilometres away.
- The Roman Army Museum and the Walltown Crags stretch of the Wall.
- Hexham and its abbey. See also the Roman conquest of Scotland and the UNESCO sites of the United Kingdom.
Tips
- How long: an hour and a half for the fort, half a day with a walk along the Wall.
- When to go: April to October; on clear days the view is immense.
- A tip: combine Housesteads and Vindolanda in one day: the first shows you the fort, the second the lives of the people.