Situated in Northumbria, Housesteads Roman Fort is one of Hadrian’s Walls’ most well-known forts. Covering five acres of land along an escarpment, it was home to Roman auxiliaries for 300 years. It was also the centre of life for the civilian settlement that grew outside its walls.

Many of the archaeological features at Housesteads are unique to Roman legionary fortresses in Britain.

The History of Housesteads 

Housestead’s was a late addition to Hadrian’s Wall, replacing a turret demolished to accommodate the full-sized fort.

During the third and fourth centuries AD, the fort was the base for the first cohort of the Tungrians, a Belgium tribe and the Frisians from the Rhineland. There was room for a full infantry unit of 800 men.

The fort was abandoned after the Roman withdrawal from Britain, although it was reoccupied in the seventeenth century when it became a base for brigands in the 17th century. Apart from corn mills added during this period, the remains on the site relate to different phases of the fort’s Roman history.

The Defences of Housesteads Fort

Built on the edge of an escarpment, two ditches originally surrounded Housesteads. The builders made the most of the limited space by taking the north wall to the very edge of the ridge, employing Roman engineering to its fullest by digging deep foundations to support the wall. These foundations are still visible on the threshold of the north gate.

The east and west gates have interesting features unique to Housesteads. The east gate was once adorned with a sculpture of Victory. At its entrance are the remains of the wheel ruts, worn into the stone from carts entering the fort. 

The gate also shows how its use was modified over time. For example, sometime in the latter half of Housesteads’ history, access was restricted when the southern passage of the gate was blocked.

The west gate still retains the holes for the bar used to close the fort’s gate at night and the mason marks on the front corners of the walls outside the gates.

Hygiene in Roman Forts

Roman forts were equipped with bathhouses and latrines for the troops and Housesteads was no exception. The latrines lay in the eastern corner of the south wall. A constant flow of water from adjacent tanks flushed away waste matter, also feeding a small channel running at the foot of the toilets, used to wash the sponges that were used instead of toilet paper. The toilet seats were wooden, as indicated by the surviving joist holds.

Housestead’s also had a hospital. Wards ranged around an open central courtyard, with a large room to the north believed to have been an operating theatre.

The Roman Barracks and Granaries

The only remaining barracks blocks date to the fourth century AD and lie to the right of the east gate. To the west are Housestead’s granaries. One is very well preserved and still has details of an inward bolting door, stone supports for the raised floor and ventilation holes in the walls. 

Although two granaries have been identified, they were probably originally one large building with a colonnade down the centre before their later separation. 

The Fort’s Headquarters

Immediately next door to the hospital in the central area of the fort was the headquarters building. This was the centre of administration and where the unit’s valuables and standards would have been stored. The entrance was adorned with a sculpture of the god Mars, originally brightly painted. Beyond this were the rooms where the clerks worked and the units’ standards were housed. There was also a central assembly hall for the troops, complete with the commander’s dais.

The Commander’s House at Housesteads Fort

On the opposite side of the main road from the headquarters building are the remains of the commanding officer’s house. Set around an open courtyard, the function of several of its rooms can be clearly identified. The kitchen remains visible, complete with the remains of an oven and a heated room to the north of the building once served as a bath suite. The toilets lay to the west. Stables were in the basements to the west of the entrance.

The Civilian Settlement at Housesteads

Outside the south gate of the fort was the civilian settlement that serviced the fort. Little remains, although some houses have been identified — one with bodies buried under the floor. This suggests that the house may have been the site of a murder.

Houses built up against the south gate practically block it, indicating that this entrance or part of it was not in use in the latter part of the fort’s Roman history.

Resources:

Breeze, David J (1993) Hadrian’s Wall. English Heritage