More Roman Around - Hadrian's Wall and Housteads Fort.

The day we went to Hadrian's Wall was very mizzly drizzly - all I could think about was those poor Roman soldiers with the wind blowing up their short skirts! Hadrian's Wall is pretty spectacular. It is amazing to think that so much of it has survived almost 2000 years - particularly when local farmers also build their walls from stone and would have no doubt "borrowed" bits and pieces of it for their own fences. It is a pretty steep walk up from the car park to the remains of the housteads Fort, but the view from up there is worth it. They say on a clear day you can see from one side of England to the other and I could well believe it.

Roman around Scotland!

After our visit to the Wheel, we visited the Antonine Wall. This was the northernmost boundary of the Roman Empire in Britain. The remains of Roughcastle Fort are visible just as earthworks; humps and bumps under the emerald green grass. The kids had a ball, running around the area and playing some imaginary game involving magic and mystery. We walked from one end of the site to the other, stopping at several display boards to read about the fort and its defenses. Some of the features were still quite clearly visible, including the pits that would have been filled with stakes to protect the northern side. Interestingly, the fort was only in use for 20 years. Presumably the locals were too recalcitrant and the conditions too inhospitable for a longer stay! At the end of the site, there was a very elaborate stile, leading into Roughcastle Woods. We took a little walk along the path to find a geocache – GeoJen was the eagle eyed spotter! She would have made a great lookout in the days when the fort was in use! There are more photos here.