Romans and After in North Cumbria - Hadrian's Wall Community Champions' Exploration Events

In Gilsland (almost at Poltross Burn)

Yesterday, as part of Hadrian's Wall Community Champions' Exploration Events, we were able to hear about Lauren and Liam's organic farming activities at Willowford Farm (& B&B) and at The Samson Inn. They are a young couple who are passionate about local produce and are dedicated to the area. After Liam's talk we visited Milecastle 48 (at Poltross Burn also known locally as The King's Stables since medieval times). We walked the Roman mile (49) to Birdoswald Roman Fort taking in turrets, the Stone Wall, the bridge abutment, the modern bridge and Milecastle 49 at Harrow's Scar. We were also able to spot inscriptions and phallic symbols in and around Hadrian's Wall along the route.

Milecastle 48/Poltross Burn/King's Stables

Turret 49A (Willowford)

Willowford Bridge Abutment

We, 16 of us, enjoyed a delicious lunch at Slack House Farm where Dianne and Eric Horn farm in an organic, sustainable way. Lunch was served in the Scypen (next door to where they also have a bunkhouse) and where they make their fantastic Birdoswald cheese. They were very welcoming to us and they talked about their farming activities too.

Walking down to the bridge abutment

After lunch we visited the Roman Fort at Birdoswald (also known as Banna) where we discussed the turf wall, the beauty of the landscape, all things Roman, warlords, Arthurian legends (linking King Arthur to Hadrian's Wall) and St. Patrick's possible birth place. The English Heritage team were very helpful. There is talk of an upgrade to the whole site for 2017 which sounds as if it will be fabulous if it does go ahead. Fingers crossed.

At Harrow Scar Milecastle (49)

We went by bus to Upper Denton to the churchyard and the Norman church with Saxon elements. It is just below Birdoswald where we looked up again at the site of the fort. We discussed the effect of the Reivers on Sir Walter Scott. He visited the area several times and one of his novels in particular, Guy Mannering, is based on certain real people and places in Gilsland.  (Will Higgs' website has lots of research on the Guy Mannering characters.) During the day we reflected on all the different historical elements within Gilsland: steam locomotives, railways; the E-W train line (and the campaign to reopen Gilsland station); the history of Gilsland Hotel and Spa, the Scottish/English border wars; the Romans; the Reivers; Romance; Writers and Poets; Religion and so on. We also inspected a fortified vicarage/bastle house and an earthwork which may possibly be Roman given its proximity to the early Stanegate supply 'frontier' road that runs through Upper or Over Denton.

Upper Denton Churchyard & Norman/Saxon Church with Roman arch

All in all, it was a marvellously sunny autumnal day and a good time was had by all.

(Many more things/people/events/history were discussed during the day and I hope to expand this blog post with a further series of posts - expanding on what I have mentioned above.)

vale!

Hadriana

A saunter along the Stanegate in Summer

I hope the pictures say it all as I haven't got time to tell you all about it. Another time perhaps. The Romans built a road which is now known by its medieval name, Stanegate = Stone Road. It runs, so they say, from Corbridge to Carlisle.

Sadly I missed a conference this last weekend at http://www.arbeiasociety.org.uk/Arbeia, South Shields, organised by the Society where one of the speakers, John Poulter, was talking in depth about it. Luckily Tyne and Wear Museums and its associated Archaeological unit will be running community-led projects in 2013. One of its projects is to look at where the Stanegate may/may not have been.
Bits of the Stanegate are still in use. This bit (as above) runs through two villages near Hexham - Newbrough and Fourstones. We were there this summer on a crackingly hot day (I think that day was our Summer end of!!!) and went to a pub, The Red Lion Pub, for a very wonderful Sunday lunch.
It was very yummy.

(Thanks, Mark, author of 'Views from The Bike Shed' - using a different browser did vanquish the pesky firewall. Cheers for the tip!)

Great Expectations at Great Chesters

Great Chesters (Aesica) is a great little fort. It sits on farm land along the line of Hadrian's Wall. So it can be officially termed a 'Wall fort'. I've not been back for ages and must do so some time. Here are some pictures of it on the internet which I have not studied yet but look interesting: here.

This is (I'm told) the top of the strong room popping out of the greenery (as in photo above). It has an air of neglect which adds to its charm. In my head I've nicknamed it "The Miss Havisham Fort" on Hadrian's Wall. This link in Wikipedia describes it in more detail. A hoard of treasure was found in the West Tower of the South Gate in 1894 and I quote from there:

Excavations were carried out in 1894, during which the ramparts were cleared. The west tower of the south gate was found to contain a hoard of jewellery, which included an enamelled brooch shaped as a hare, a gilded bronze brooch described as a masterpiece of Celtic art, a silver collar with a pendant, a gold ring and a bronze ring with a Gnostic gem. During this excavation the headquarters building (principia) was partially uncovered, together with its vaulted underground strong room. A barrack block was also found to the south-west of the principia.
In 1897 a bathhouse was discovered, 100 yards (91 m) to the south, east of the branch road to the Stanegate. It includes a dressing room, latrine, cold room with cold bath, dry-heat room, warm steamy room and hot steamy room.

As far as I can recall all/most of the jewellery from the hoard is on display at The Great North Museum in Newcastle. It is there as I have looked at it very recently. It is wonderful to behold.
The Great North Museum is free to enter which is an absolute bonus.

There is this interesting short film created by the British Museum  (3 mins.) here which also talks about the complete border around the Roman Empire as created by Hadrian. His stone wall in Northern Britain played a part in his grand plan of protecting/limiting the Roman Empire at its very height.

There is a very good Timewatch BBC programme on Hadrian's Wall (if you have 48 minutes to spare). It gives you an extremely good overview of 'Life on the Wall' in the times of the Romans.