Day 3 - Hadrian's Wall on Monday, May 6th, 2013

Today, we explored Hadrian's Wall. Visited the Roman Army Museum in Greenhead, stopped for lunch @ House of Meg Tea Rooms, visited a section of the wall and toured the Roman excavations at Vindolanda. Topped it off with supper at a head of Steam pub and immersion in a live folk music jam session at The Elm Tree pub in Durham.

Click on my photos below to see them in high resolution on Flickr.  You can view the entire set in high resolution by clicking here!

Our first stop along Hadrian's Wall is the Roman Army Museum in Greenhead, Northumberland County.  It was a nice museum.  Not too big.  Easy to see.

Roman Army Museum - Worth seeing.

On our way to Hadrian's Wall, we stopped for casual lunch at House of Meg Tea Rooms in Gilsland.

House of Meg Tea Rooms - Great lunch!

After lunch, it was on to Peel Crag where a portion of the wall is visible.  When we got out of the car there, I saw this picturesque farm.  Pretty cool.

Farm near Steel Rigg, Northumberland

Peel Crag is an volcanic rock outcropping consisting mostly of basalt.  Certainly it provides a great vantage point for the Romans and their wall.  You can see a portion of the wall in the lower right of the photo.

Hadrian's Wall & Peel Crag - Once Brewed

Close up of Hadrian's Wall @ Peel Crag

A remaining portion of Hadrian's Wall @ Steel Rigg

We then headed to Vindolanda, a Roman fort and village.  The first timber forts at the site were built in 85 AD.  Hadrian's Wall was built in 122 AD.  Vindolanda is best known for the Vindolanda Tablets found there in 1973.  The tablets date to the 1st and 2nd centuries AD.  They record the military operations and personal affairs of the Romans at Vindolanda.

Vindolanda

A reconstructed Roman "turret" stands behind escavations of the village.

The Romans implemented running water and plumbing in many of their buildings.

Vindolanda escavations

Warm water was circulated under floors to heat a building.

Surveyors and Archaeologists at work

Archaeologist digging at Vindolanda

Students are invited to participate in the archaeological digs 

A statue a Vindolanda

I have no idea what this is!  But I thought it was cool anyway.

Reconstructed Temple

Flooring over the water troughs can be seen in this photo.

A well is in the center of this building.

One more shot of Vindolanda as we headed home to Durham.

You can view the entire set in high resolution by clicking here!