Housesteads Roman Fort

Set in the glorious Northumberland landscape, Housesteads Roman Fort is an auxiliary fort on Hadrian’s Wall, offering amazing views as well as a fascinating glimpse of Roman life. The site is managed by English Heritage, but owned by the National Trust. In 2021, we were lucky enough to stay on a property by the fort, one of the many places up and down the country which the National Trust rent out as holiday cottages.

The remote location, with just sheep and cows for neighbours, made this a magical place to stay. Out all day, in the evenings, we had the area completely to ourselves, although no access to the fort after hours. It was a wonderful place to stay.

Once garrisoned by 1,000 soldiers, Houseteads is the best-preserved Roman fort in Britain. Known to the Romans as Vercovicium (meaning ‘the place of the effective fighters’), the site consists of the remains of barrack blocks, the headquarters and bath house amongst other things. With the wind whistling across the land, it is not hard to imagine how isolated those serving here were and how hard life must have been in the wet, cold weather despite the stunning views.

The Visitors Centre houses a fascinating exhibition of artefacts, including altars, dedication stones, jewellery, tools and weapons, all discovered on the site with lots of information about life in the Roman army. Both the visitor centre and the fort itself are about a 10 minute uphill walk from the main car park and the site is not very accessible to visitors with mobility issues.

Once at the site, there are wonderful views of Hadrian’s Wall, itself a UNESCO World Heritage Site, to enjoy, showing why this location was a perfect spot for this settlement. There are many other forts to visit along the wall, perfect for those who enjoy walking- and for those who don’t!

Housesteads Roman Fort

Haydon Bridge,

Hexham,

Northumberland,

NE47 6NN