Rome's Northern frontier

03/09/2026

Thanks to those lovely people who bought me a virtual coffee this week it means a lot 🙏🏻

03/09/2026

The north ditch of Hadrian’s Wall west of Heddon on the Wall. The wall itself now lies under the military road built in the 18th Century

01/09/2026

The remains of the south wall of Stone fort 1 at Vindolanda dating to the late 2nd Century and built of golden coloured sandstone. The fort was demolished and the platform and stone used to build the camp of round houses during the Severan period in the early 3rd century. Little of this fort remains visible as the sandstone is extremely vulnerable to weathering and is now reburied.

31/08/2026

A look at the remains of the Roman bridge which carried Hadrian’s Wall over the North Tyne to Chesters Fort

30/08/2026

It always the case of spot the difference when I photograph Vindolanda year after year, the excavations have moved twice time since this shot was taken in 2018.

30/08/2026

Join the podcast on Hadrian’s Wall with David Breeze

Archaeologist David Breeze explores Hadrian’s Wall, Roman frontiers, and what 50 years of research reveal about life at the edge of empire.

29/08/2026

A look at Turret 36b which lies buried under Housesteads fort

27/08/2026

It’s always great to see the Ermine Street Guard on the march seen here during a recent trip to Vindolanda.

26/08/2026

Brough castle built in the 12th century reused the site of Verteris Roman fort which was founded in the late 1st century AD. The fort guarded the road over the Stainmore pass which connected the west with Dere street to the east and still used by the A66. A Roman fortlet known as Maiden Castle sat on the scarp and would have been visible from Verteris. Inscriptions from the fort can still be seen in St Michael’s Church

20/08/2026

The Roman fort at Ilkley sat at the crossing of the river Wharf and the crossroads of the network of Roman roads in the area within the heart of the tribe of the Brigantes. The Roman name has been debated as Olicana or Verbeia. It is also unknown if the Roman inhabitants followed local tradition and didn’t wear hats!