Geo-Trips :: Exploring both sides of Hadrian's Wall near Vercovicium
Hadrian's Wall
A walk from Housesteads Museum, Sun, 5 Aug 2018 by Rudi Winter
This walk is a combination of a visit to the Housesteads Museum at the Roman fort of Vercovicium with a short exploration of the section of Hadrian's Wall surrounding it. Some of the mileage shown is simply moving fairly randomly amongst the ruins of the fort. The walk begins at the museum car park on the B6318. It is quite pricey but there are plenty of spaces, and there is an entrance fee which gives access to the museum and the fort. There is no need to worry about closing times at the end of the walk as it is possible to get out after closing by going round the visitor centre.
We went straight up to the museum and had a look inside first, followed by a detailed look at the remains of the fort including the trader's buildings (vicus) outside the boundary wall, the commanding officer's quarters (praetorium), the hospital (valetudinarium), the granary (horreum) and the fortifications surrounding the fort.
The northern boundary of the fort is Hadrian's Wall itself, set atop the Whin Sill, a natural escarpment formed from an igneous intrusion into the surrounding rock. We followed the Wall to the west past milecastle 37 with its customs gate and briefly joined the Pennine Way to cross into Pictish territory to the north.
Turning east, we followed a path beneath the Whin Sill and across Ridley Common, past Broomlee Lough at some distance. This path leads up gently towards the point known as the King's Wicket, where a mediaeval drovers' route crosses Hadrian's Wall. After crossing back into Roman territory, we returned along the Wall to Vercovicium and then along the outside of the Roman fort back to the car park.
On the map below, the grey line is the GPS track from this trip. Click the blue circles to see a photograph taken from that spot and read further information about the location. The blue lines indicate the direction of view. There is also a slideshow of this trip. ( )
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Rough grazing at Housesteads Museum
The track from the car park and information centre leads through rough grazing... more
Track leading to Housesteads Museum
The track from the car park and information centre leads through rough grazing... more
Interpretation board, Housesteads Museum
Felix the Roman soldier guides young visitors through the small but informative... more
Vallum, Vercovicium
Vercovicium https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6161062 was a Roman fort securing... more
Well, Vercovicium
This well just on the outside of the Roman fort... more
Vercovicium: workshops outside the fort
These buildings are known as the vicus and lie just outside the southern gate... more
Sheep grazing outside the Roman fort
The wall is the southeast corner of the Roman fort of Vercovicium... more
Vercovicium: South gate
Remains of the southern gate house of the Roman fort... more
Vercovicium: commanding officer's quarters
This part of the Roman fort contained the praetorium, the commanding officer's... more
Vercovicium: Roman masonry
A collection of columns and flagstones have been assembled in the praetorium... more
Vercovicium: drain
This covered ditch served as a drain from inside the valetudinarium (hospital,... more
Vercovicium: grain store
The stone pillars of this horreum (store house,... more
Vercovicium: barracks
Not a lot is left of the sleeping quarters of the regular soldiers. Their... more
Vercovicium: Hadrian's Wall
The fort of Vercovicium https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6161062 was built into... more
Vercovicium: open space
The space to the right is the only sizeable space within the fort that wasn't... more
Vercovicium: watch tower
There were several towers in all four sides of the wall enclosing the Roman fort.... more
Vercovicium: view from the angle tower
Angle towers were built into the rounded corners of the fort. This is the view... more
Vercovicium: latrine
The communal facilities for the inhabitants of fort, with the exception of the... more
Hadrian's Wall at Housesteads
To the west of the Roman fort of Vercovicium... more
Hadrian's Wall west of Housesteads
The Hadrian's Wall Path hugs the alignment of the Wall. Many walkers walk on the... more
Hadrian's Wall and Hadrian's Wall path
The Hadrian's Wall Path hugs the alignment of the Wall. Many walkers walk on the... more
Hadrian's Wall atop the Whin Sill
The Roman border wall was built on top of the Whin Sill, a natural escarpment... more
Hadrian's Wall east of Milecastle 37
The Wall runs along the top of the Whin Sill, a natural escarpment formed by an... more
Hadrian's Wall near Broomlee Lough
Hardly an unsurmountable barrier these days, Hadrian's Wall was originally more... more
Milecastle 37, Hadrian's Wall
Milecastles housed the garrisons manning Hadrian's Wall. In addition, there were... more
Interior of Milecastle 37, Hadrian's Wall
This view shows the eastern half of the milecastle enclosure, with several... more
Border gate, Milecastle 37, Hadrian's Wall
This is the view a northbound traveller would have encountered while enduring the... more
Hadrian's Wall west of Milecastle 37
The Wall snakes along the top of the Whin Sill... more
Housesteads Crags
Housesteads Crags is part of the Whin Sill, a large-scale igneous intrusion on top... more
The Pennine Way at Turret 37a (Rapishaw Gap)
The Pennine Way and the Hadrian's Wall path follow the same route between... more
Whin Sill near Housesteads
Whin Sill is an igneous intrusion which has formed a long almost linear escarpment... more
Whin Sill at Housesteads
Whin Sill is an igneous intrusion which has formed a long almost linear escarpment... more
Footpath on the north side of Hadrian's Wall
The long-distance Hadrian's Wall Path https://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6162222... more
Whin Sill at Housesteads
Looking from the north, the Whin Sill escarpment stands prominently above the... more
Philosophical sheep near Broomlee Lough
This sheep appeared to be in deep thought when we passed by. It has a look as if... more
Broomlee Lough
Broomlee Lough is a natural lake on Ridley Common just to the north of Hadrian's... more
Vercovicium Roman fort from the north
Vercovicium is a Roman fort situated on Hadrian's Wall. There is a museum called... more
Copse on Ridley Common
There is a small enclosed parcel of woodland on Ridley Common. The footpath... more
Copse on Ridley Common
There is a small enclosed copse http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6165233 on Ridley... more
Inside the copse on Ridley Common
There is a small enclosed wood http://www.geograph.org.uk/photo/6165233 on Ridley... more
Sewingshields Crags
Looking north along Hadrian's Wall from Ridley Common. The highest point in view... more
Hadrian's Wall on Clew Hill
Hadrian's Wall follows along the edge of the Whin Sill. Clew Hill is a section of... more
Whin Sill east of Housesteads
The view follows a section of the escarpment, which has several breaches... more
Whin Sill at Housesteads
The trees line a section of the escarpment just to the west of the Roman fort of... more
Gap between King's Hill and Clew Hill, Whin Sill
The two hills are separated by a gap, giving the escarpment a wave-like appearance... more
Hadrian's Wall
Looking north along the Roman wall, which follows closely the Whin Sill escarpment... more
King's Wicket crossing, Hadrian's Wall
King's Wicket is the point where a mediaeval drovers' road crossed Hadrian's Wall.... more
Hadrian's Wall north of King's Wicket
The actual wall shown here is not the original Roman design but has been built or... more
South from Hadrian's Wall
The gentler, southern side of the Whin Sill escarpment... more
Changing weather over Ridley Common
Looking across Hadrian's Wall towards Housesteads Crags (left... more
Hadrian's Wall path near Housesteads
A small enclosed wood on the south side of Hadrian's Wall. At the western end of... more
Hadrian's Wall
A very mossy section of wall in a small enclosure... more
Hadrian's Wall east of Vercovicium
The Wall here remains at its full width from Roman times. The Roman fort of... more
All images © Rudi Winter and available under a
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