Official Website of Hadrian's Wall Country

Vindolanda has amazing stuff. The discovery of the Vindolanda writing tablets 30 years ago really stirred things up. Dating back to just before the Wall was constructed, the 2,000 tablets form the earliest archive of written material in British history and are matched by similar tablets from the eastern frontier. A sort of 360-degree view of empire life. It’s quite a thing to look at a spidery 2,000-year-old party invite inscribed on wood (Dress code? Best togas, surely). Or to learn that the native Celts were thought of as ‘wretched Britons’. Or to read personal moans at brothers that have not written or pleas to be sent socks as it was pretty chilly on the northern frontier. Truly awesome.

Roman methods of construction (just lay down clay and turf over existing structures and off you go again) mean that much has survived underground. Early forts were built of wood and needed replacing every seven or eight years, which must have been a real nuisance although it probably provided everyone with plenty of work. At least 10 forts were built on this very site and it’ll probably take at least another 150 years to uncover all that Vindolanda has to offer.

Fabulous full-scale replicas really bring home the reality of Roman and early British life. There’s the Wall itself in turf, timber and stone; the Roman Temple; the Roman Shop (late night opening unknown); the Romano-British House and the Northumbrian Croft. It’s an award-winning site and you can really see why. On the one hand you’ve the remains of the fort (barracks, bathhouses and mysterious circular buildings) and  the civilian settlement complete with ‘high street’; on the other hand you’ve got these tremendous atmospheric reconstructions.

There’s a Romano-Celtic temple to an unknown god set amid the cemetery; not one but two bathhouses; an almost completely visible circuit of the defences and the Principia or Headquarters with pit used to house the money chests. And you know what is really interesting? They’re still finding stuff all the time (it’s going to take 150 years remember). In 2007 a gloriously delicate piece of glasswork was unearthed that fitted with a piece discovered back in 1999, so the painted gladiator scene is really coming to life.