Newcastle-Upon-Tyne Day 3

Thursday 9th July 2026

This morning we set off by 9am to drive out to Hadrian’s Wall at Housesteads. It’s one of the best examples close by Newcastle being less than a one hour drive.  We were able to walk along the wall and visit the fortress built to repel the Scots. The wall extends from coast to coast and takes advantage of the topography where it can and build the wall on top of dolerite sills. these are geological formations that dominate the landscape by nature of flat layering in hard volcanic rock. Where the rock is undercut it forms escarpments 5-20m high. In other areas a vallum or ditch is dug at the base of the wall to prevent opponents from scaling the wall.

 

 

The Scottish invaders came from the right hand side of the image above. The fort was built on the left hand (South) side of the wall and had room for the commanders family and 800 soldiers. To the left hand side of the fort was the “Vicus” or village where wives and children lived. Perhaps they had a vicar?

When complete the wall stretched 117km (73 miles) from coast to coast. Patrols operated from forts spaced about 7 miles apart with lookouts housed in “mile castles” along the way.