Travel and Adventure by Various Travel Authors

By Robert Selwitz

Nearly 1,900 years after it was built, Hadrian's Wall still fascinates. Stretching west to east from Solway Firth (west of Carlisle) to Newcastle, England, portions are still quite visible and hikeable, and so are the remains of Roman fortifications and town sites.

Along its roughly 73 miles are many remnants of housing for Roman soldiers and their entourage. These include hospitals and other public facilities such as baths, latrines, granaries and the brothels they used. There are also indications of extensive trade with people living outside the demarcation.

A visit to the wall — a United Nations World Heritage Site — underscores the point that Hadrian's Wall not only marked the Roman Empire's northernmost border but was also a key player in the exchange of goods and ideas between Roman and non-Roman civilizations.

Hadrian's Wall is easily accessible by car from Carlisle or Newcastle, or via the on-off AD 122 bus (named for the year construction of the wall began) running between the two cities. Among its stops are the four main forts, including Housesteads and Chesters; the best-preserved remains of the towns including Vindolanda and Corstopitum; the temple of Mithras at Carrawburgh; and the early medieval town of Hexham Abbey.

Hearty hikers can also walk along any section of the wall, confident that camps, youth hostels or bed and breakfasts are never far away. Given the relatively short distances and non-taxing terrain, many walkers parallel the entire wall, taking about six days to comfortably and thoroughly explore it.

The extensive ruins of Housesteads features identifiable layouts of Roman administrative structures, a hospital and latrines. The Romans tended to repeat successful building models, and the design of quarters and offices for infantry troops and officers is similar to those found at many other Roman army sites.

Of most interest, however, is the hospital. There archaeologists have identified operating rooms, recovery areas and wards, along with surgical instruments and a fascinating granary. The granary is identifiable not just by walls for storage but also by buttresses used to contain those walls. The Romans knew that grain, particularly if it was wet and stored loosely or in sacks, would inevitably expand. Without those buttresses, the pressure of that expansion could have destroyed the enclosure.

The latrines were made functional via a raised tank for water storage and channels through which it could flow. They bear a striking resemblance to modern-day versions — if you discount the fact that the 24 seats were side by side.

Housesteads is also a fine point from which to view and stroll along the wall in both easterly and westerly directions. Another major fort was Chesters. Considered the best-preserved remains of a British Roman cavalry fort, it was built to guard the Roman bridge that carried Hadrian's Wall over the River Tyne. Onsite are remnants of four gates, a headquarters building, barracks and extensive portions of a bathhouse.

Another major draw is Corbridge. A Roman town with an impressive museum, its remains include fortification walls and foundations, all quite close to the Stanegate Road, an earlier Roman defensive road and demarcation structure south of what later became the wall.

West of Corbridge lies Corstopitum, a major supply town. Its civilian appearance is quite different from towns adjoining major fortifications. Partially excavated ruins include a huge granary with porticoed loading bays, a large forum marketplace, houses, temples and workshops.

Even more intriguing is Vindolanda. Here there's plenty of evidence of the domestic life of the soldiers.

Those who were not officers could not marry (joining the army triggered an automatic divorce), and they had to sign on for 25-year stints. After that time, soldiers with an honorable discharge acquired Roman citizenship. This clearly appealed to those who were not born legal Roman Empire citizens but who longed to share the legal and economic benefits of being a citizen.

Nevertheless, many of the soldiers manning Hadrian's Wall and environs lacked for neither female companionship nor the attractions of a functioning town site. Vindolanda is a fascinating example of all this, featuring vast swaths of foundations and stonework.

The town itself — estimated to have had a fourth-century population of some 500 — was home to common-law wives, girlfriends and casual acquaintances. Residents also included tradesmen who dealt with locals as well as those from beyond the wall. As evidence, many rings and hair clips have been found in the extensive drainage system. Archaeologists have also found the foundations of a slaughterhouse, many stores, a butcher shop and an accounting office.

At the nearby Roman Army Museum are exhibits that include tablets bearing original letters. Subjects include pleas from a solider asking someone to send him clean socks, notes stating how terrible the roads were and a plea from one officer to another to send more beer for his men.

On one tablet an officer's wife, named Claudia, invited her friend, Sulpicia Lepidina, to come to her birthday party, saying that her friend's presence would make her day more enjoyable. Many experts feel this is the earliest surviving letter written in Latin between two women. Other items on display include shoes, weapons, cooking gear and medical instruments.

Also worth seeing is the Temple of Mithras at Carrawburgh. Sitting on a desolate stretch of moors, the temple features an enclosure with a statue of the mother goddess, benches for worshippers and a nave with three altars.

For an ideal wrap-up of any Hadrian's Wall sojourn, a visit to the recently renovated Museum of Antiquities in Newcastle on Tyne would definitely be in order. The museum, one of England's leading repositories about the Roman period, includes the original Birth of Mithras stone from Housesteads, which shows one of the earliest depictions of the signs of the zodiac found in Britain. There are also extremely rare brooches, rings and cameos, a detailed model of Hadrian's Wall and a full-scale reconstruction of a functioning Mithric temple.

A logical starting or finishing point for exploring the wall is Carlisle. My base for experiencing this lovely and busy city was the centrally located Crowne & Mitre Hotel. From there it was a short distance to such attractions as the 900-year-old cathedral that survived civil war attacks by Oliver Cromwell's forces and later "purification" — whitewashing over virtually all decorations.

Other must-sees include the beautifully restored 12th-century Citadel, which features impressive battlements as well as extraordinary graffiti, probably left by medieval prisoners. Carlisle also boasts a restored Tithe House, where for centuries goods produced and "donated" by Carlisle citizens were stored, and the 15th-century guildhall, once a traders meeting place and now a repository for centuries of fascinating historic treasures.

IF YOU GO

For general information: www.visitengland.com

British Rail: www.britishrail.com

Hadrian's Wall information: www.hadrians.com

Crowne & Mitre Hotel: www.peelhotels.co.uk

Robert Selwitz is a freelance travel writer. To read features by other Creators Syndicate writers and cartoonists, visit the Creators Syndicate website at www.creators.com.

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