Housesteads Roman Fort

© Housesteads Roman Fort

Stood high on the wild Whin Sill escarpment and flanked by dramatic stretches of Hadrian's Wall, Housesteads is the most complete example of a Roman fort anywhere in Britain. Known as 'Vercovicium' - 'the place of effective fighters', Housesteads was once a garrison for around 1,000 infantry soldiers. Today, visitors can discover what life would have been like through the series of clearly traceable buildings including the headquarters, hospital and the renowned multi-seater communal latrines.

Education groups have the benefit of exploring this five-acre site; visit the newly refurbished museum and gain a great insight into life at the edge of the Roman Empire through the use of film footage and stunning collections, or take part in a practical Discovery Visit led by expert staff. Students can become history detectives and solve a Roman mystery using clues and handling objects in the 'Murder at the Fort' Discovery Visit or 'Meet a Roman Soldier' and find out what life was like on the frontier through drama and role play.

A new Geocache Trail is available for schools to book and is a great resource to engage education groups in the daily life of a Roman soldier including focuses on religion, health and hygiene. The trail uses GPS devices to help groups locate different caches containing activities, handling objects and reconstruction images, which have been placed at key locations around the site. Available to download from the English Heritage website are additional teacher resources including a Hazard Information Sheet and a new Teacher’s Kit.

For more information about the Discovery Visits at Housesteads Roman Fort, please go to: www.english-heritage.org.uk/education/discovery-visits/housesteads-roman-fort

To book your school visit, please call 0870 333 0606 or email [email protected]

We also offer free entry for self-led visits to all our properties: www.english-heritage.org.uk/education/free-entry

 To download educational resources, visit: www.english-heritage.org.uk/education/resources


Scientist