Hadrians Wall Visiting

[Chance1234]

Planning a trip up to the wall this weekend ( need to get out the house as my fiancee is having her hen do) I'm travelling from leeds and going by train. So can easily get as a start point either carlise or newcastle.

This will be my first visit to the wall, Im up for some doing some serious walking and dont mind going off the beaten track.

most likely will leave first thing saturday morning coming back late sunday.

I was wondeirng for those of you wwho have visited the wall , if you could make any good recomendations of where to go and stay

regards

[Nautia_67]

This is a good source of info, particularly about transport...

http://www.northumberland-national-park ... allbus.htm

Recommend Housesteads and Vindolanda, although Corbridge and Chesters are also worth a look. There is a YHA at Once Brewed, here...

http://www.yha.org.uk/find-accommodatio ... index.aspx

Quite envious. Hope you enjoy it all

[Chance1234]

thanks for the info. booked into the YHA at once brewed for the first night, then going to work my way in a zig zag to greenhead, stay overnight there and then go to the roman army museum there on sunday morning,

[PhilusEstilius]

Chance. If your staying at the once brewed you must go from there to Steel Rig a short distance up the hill to the Wall, that is the most Impressive view you will ever get of Hadrians' Wall absoloutely fantastic believe me. I speak from experience of Hadrians' Wall for I worked at both Houesteads and Chesters as a Custodian over a six year period.

[PhilusEstilius]

Indeed you can from the once brewed also visit Vindolanda below Steel Rig, and I must PLUG that you see MY chamfron there

[Ioannes_Ahenobarbus]

My father and I went to England two years back and motored/hiked around the Wall for several days - quite a bit of fun! We started in Newcastle and made our way West, visiting almost every fort, turret and milecastle. I recommend taking the back roads whenever possible (the B6318 I think?) so as to both avoid traffic and have a better view. Even without the wall, its lovely country up there.

[Chance1234]

Had a great time, took lots of photos which are at http://public.fotki.com/chance1234/the- ... stle-figu/

PhilusEstilius, Chamfron very impressive, i wonder what did you use for reference for the eye cages ?

[PhilusEstilius]

Chance. I have to say that I was commisioned to do that Chamfron by the Vindolanda Trust over 20 years ago now, I was given access to the original when at Vindolanda and I worked out how to fit the eye guards to my copy.
However Carol van Driel Murray did a paper on the original leather piece where she considered that it may not have had eye guards fitted and that if it did they might have been fitted to the horse bridle.
I think that having studied it as much if not more than she has I would be inclined to agree with her on that point.
The half circle arrangement that goes around the forehead of the chamfron where she refers to a sort of spectical arrangement of holes in these I would now have to disagree with her.
I have to say this from the fact that since then I have also created the Trimontium Chamfron for the Trimontium Trust, which I would consider may have been made in Roman times by the same craftsman who made the Vindolanda.
What I consider the forehead decoration to be is round Roman shields wth their umbos, these are positioned between spears that are created by 3mm studs, for what we have on these chamfrons are three sizes of studs, 3mm 6mm & 17mm. What C. van Driel Murray had in mind on the Vindolanda brow was a spectical of small circles but not so in my opinion.
These areas are semi circular and had brass plates in them with 17mm studs as shield umbo's then a spear alternating across the forehead.
The Trimontim copy I made is in the Newstead Museum at Melrose in Scotland along with the famous Trimontium helmet that I also reproduced.

[PhilusEstilius]

Chance. Here is a link to both of my repros' of the Trimontium and Vindolanda chamfrons which shows that I fitted eye guards to both of them.
However what I am not happy with is the pendants I put on at the nose, for having spoken with more experienced horsemen some have mentioned that many horses may not have tolerated such things at their soft nose area.

http://www.listuo.com/sextima/roman9.jpg