Vindolanda, the Roman fort of the tablets

Vindolanda is a Roman fort in Northumberland, just south of Hadrian's Wall, and one of the most exciting archaeological sites in Europe. Here, in the damp, oxygen-free ground, objects have survived that would have vanished elsewhere: leather shoes, textiles, wooden tools and above all the Vindolanda tablets, letters and documents written in ink on thin sheets of wood almost two thousand years ago. Excavations are still under way, and in summer you can watch archaeologists and volunteers at work.

History

The first timber fort was built around AD 85, almost forty years before the Wall, to control the Roman road known as the Stanegate, which crossed northern England from east to west. Over the following centuries the fort was rebuilt at least nine times, first in timber and then in stone, and each rebuilding buried the previous one under a layer of clay and turf: that is why the oldest layers are so well preserved. Next to the fort stood a civilian settlement, the vicus, with houses, workshops, baths and taverns. The site was occupied until the end of the Roman period and beyond.

Modern excavations began in the 1930s and, since 1970, have been run by the Vindolanda Trust, founded by the Birley family, archaeologists for three generations.

The Vindolanda tablets

In 1973 the archaeologist Robin Birley found two thin fragments of wood which, once dried, revealed traces of writing. They were the first Vindolanda tablets: today more than a thousand are known, and they are among the oldest written documents in Britain. They describe daily life at the fort: lists of supplies, military reports, requests for leave, private letters. The most famous is an invitation to a birthday party sent by Claudia Severa to her friend Sulpicia Lepidina, the commander's wife, with a few lines in her own hand: it is considered the oldest surviving Latin text written by a woman. In another letter a soldier asks to be sent socks and underpants. Most of the tablets are kept at the British Museum in London, but some are displayed in the Vindolanda museum.

What to see

The fort and the settlement

You walk among the stone remains of the fort, with its gates, headquarters, commander's house and granaries, and those of the civilian settlement, with its baths and workshops. Sections of the defensive wall have been reconstructed full-size in stone and timber to show how the fort once looked. From April to September you can watch the ongoing excavations, and archaeologists often explain to visitors what they are finding.

The museum

The museum, set in a garden with a stream and trees, displays an extraordinary collection of everyday objects: hundreds of leather shoes belonging to men, women and children, combs, jewellery, weapons, tools, a wig made of moss, and some of the original tablets. No other Roman site offers such a close view of the lives of ordinary people.

The Roman Army Museum

A few kilometres away, at Carvoran, the Roman Army Museum tells the story of the soldiers on the frontier with reconstructions, films and objects. A combined ticket with Vindolanda is available. Nearby is one of the most spectacular stretches of the Wall, at Walltown Crags.

Practical information

The site is open for most of the year, with shorter hours in winter. People who want to join the excavations as volunteers can apply many months in advance through the Trust's website. There is a café and a shop on site. Opening times and prices are published on the official website.

Getting there

• By train: on the line between Newcastle and Carlisle, to Bardon Mill (about 2.5 km on foot) or Haltwhistle.
• By bus: in summer the AD122 tourist bus links the main Wall sites.
• By car: from the A69, about an hour from Newcastle; parking on site.
• By air: Newcastle Airport is about an hour away.

Nearby

• Housesteads, the best-preserved fort along the Wall, a few kilometres away.
• The Hadrian's Wall Path national trail, 135 kilometres from coast to coast, and Sycamore Gap, where a famous tree stood until 2023.
• Hexham, with its abbey, and Newcastle. For more sites see the UNESCO sites of the United Kingdom.

Tips

• How long: at least three hours for the fort and museum; a full day with the Roman Army Museum and a walk along the Wall.
• When to go: April to September, to see the excavations in progress.
• A tip: bring comfortable shoes and a jacket: the site is outdoors and the weather in the northern hills changes quickly.

Vindolanda on the map

Nearby