A Novel Approach to Touring the Housesteads Fort

Exploring Hadrian's Wall in Northumberland, UK

Housesteads Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall, Northumberland (Photo by Marie Powell)

Historical novelists often face an annoying research gap, especially for novels set in medieval times: the lives of most medieval women were not well documented. Luckily, these gaps can offer unique opportunities, too.

One of the best ways to bridge those gaps is research. Like most authors, I rely on books and websites for information, of course, and there is cutting-edge research being done now by historians and scholars into the lives of medieval women. But the chance to “walk the walk,” as it were, in the footsteps of my character, can be an exciting addition to the novelist’s toolbox.

By visiting historical sites in person, we can soak up the nuances of atmosphere that build on the discoveries available through books, articles, or websites. Travel for research can also add to our general understanding and lead to unique discoveries.

Eat Medieval

During the COVID years, for example, I took a history class for research and learned of a series of online courses called Eat Medieval. This “medieval fusion” course was developed by Blackfriars Restaurant in Newcastle-Upon-Tyne and the University of Durham Medieval Studies department. It literally changed my life, opening up a new hobby in cooking. Preparing food also has ties to culture, medicine, health, and history. Not surprisingly, it’s given me unexpected opportunities, personally and as a novelist.

Early in 2022, Blackfriars brought Eat Medieval into the kitchen for the first face-to-face summer course. I jumped on a plane for the 30-hour trip from Saskatchewan. But I came down with COVID the day before the course began. I spent the week in a cramped little room eating microwaved soup, while everyone else cooked up a banquet in Blackfriars’ state-of-the-art kitchens.

Luckily, I was well again in time to eat the banquet and to meet my online friends, like Ann Marie Ackermann, in person. Ann Marie and I even had a chance to visit Hadrian’s Wall for a sightseeing adventure:

Our next adventure together…

The following year, Ann Marie contacted me to say she was going back for the second course (pun intended). So I decided to join her, and this time I made it to the class!

Ann Marie also rented a car to do some sightseeing at Hadrian’s Wall and Holy Island. Would I like to come along?

Would I!?! You don’t need to ask me twice.

And this time we had a volunteer local guide: another Blackfriars’ alumni, Vince Gledhill, a former journalist for the Newcastle Chronicle and author of the novel Sammy (inspired by real events).

Following Vince along the narrow roads (Photo by Marie Powell)

We followed Vince along the narrow roads through the countryside to Hadrian's Wall. Along the way, we had a chance to see the Sycamore Gap Tree before it met its untimely demise:

Lunch at the Twice Brewed Inn

We finally arrived at the Twice Brewed Inn, a well-known landmark with a few interesting stories of its own. For instance, at one time signs announced Once Brewed if you approach from the east along the Military Road (B6318), and Twice Brewed if you approach from the west. But the owner assures me all signs say Twice Brewed now.

News articles and similar sources suggest several reasons for the inn’s name, but the one I prefer (of course) dates the name at 1464, when soldiers from York demanded their ale be brewed again, and so fortified, routed the Lancaster troops from the area.

Whatever the origin, our lunch there was equally fortifying. As well as sampling the local brews, we got to taste traditional haggis with whiskey sauce, steak-and-ale pie, and other hearty fare.

Twice Brewed Haggis and Whiskey Sauce (Photo by Marie Powell)

Although Twice Brewed Haggis is no longer on the menu, there’s enough choice to satisfy any palate, with gluten-free options and ingredients clearly listed.

And not to forget the local beer and ale, brewed on the premises with locally themed named like the Sycamore Gap, Twice Brewed bitter, Vindolanda, or Ale Cesar (Vince claims this one as his favourite).

After that, a walk up the hillside to the Housesteads fort seemed in order, to work off our lunch as well as explore 2000 years into the past.

A Smattering of History

We walked up the rolling hillside to the Housesteads Roman fort (Photo by Marie Powell)

Once known as the northern edge of the great Roman Empire, the ruins of the Housesteads fort continue to keep watch over the midpoint of Hadrian’s Wall. The wall itself is a chain of stone, low walls, ditches, and some fifteen forts that stretch almost 130 km (80 miles) over rugged terrain.

We took our time exploring the area together, joining the ranks of over 100,000 visitors who find their way to Hadrian’s Wall annually. During our walk, I bought James Crow’s Housesteads Roman Fort, an English Heritage guidebook, on site. This and the other resources linked in the article provided me with useful historical and cultural details. But the chance to experience the site first-hand really ignited my imagination.

As we wandered the area, our group separated to explore different aspects of it. We passed the headquarters or principia, the commanding officer's house or praetorium, and the area where the garrison of soldiers made their beds.

The Praetorium or Commanders House at the Housesteads Fort (Photo by Marie Powell)

In Roman times, about one-thousand infantry and cavalry were stationed at the fort, but it wasn’t considered a plumb deployment. Only “auxiliaries” or conquered people were sent to the Housesteads. Archaeologists believe the Tungrians, German people from eastern Belgium, made up the main group in the first century AD, and over the centuries other German soldiers from Frisia (now Holland in northern Germany) were sent to join them.

The garrison was notorious for being rowdy, fond of dice games and gambling, prone to violence and even the occasional murder. Skeletons of a man and woman were found buried in a rear room at the fort, the man with the tip of a knife still in his ribs.

Letters and other artifacts show they ate well, hunting venison, boar, and other game. Housesteads boasted several shops and shrines, granaries, a hospital, a Roman bath, and other facilities—all indications of a very full urban life at the settlement. The Fort was also surrounded by an estimated 500 civilian farmers and villagers.

Bread for the troops: Vince exploring the Housesteads site (Photo by Marie Powell)

There's evidence that the Fort towers and baths were still being modified and renovated in the 4th Century. But by the end of the that century, military occupation ended, and the Romans pulled out of Britain.

For my novel…

Unfortunately, little is known of the Housesteads area history between the 4th and 18th Century. Several sources mention that the villages around the area used the wall and forts as a quarry for stones and other building materials until the 18th Century, when archaeologists became interested in the area and stopped the practice.

Nevertheless, our day left me with several ideas for my historical novel. In reality, people haven’t changed all that much in the ensuing 800 years. In fact, there’s good evidence that noble women in the late 13th Century enjoyed more freedom, better overall education, and fewer restrictions on their behaviour than they did in later periods of history.

I firmly believe that it's all the little moments, the small interactions of life as it passes us by that show the true strength of the relationships between people. I could imagine my character enjoying a walk around the grounds, admiring the structures and views as much as I did.

Perhaps she and her husband pilfered (or had their servants pilfer) stones for their manor house. Perhaps they rode or hunted in the area with friends, or even with King Edward I (a.k.a. Longshanks) on his many visits through the area on the way to war with the Scots.

Housesteads Fort at Hadrian’s Wall, Northumberland (Photo by Marie Powell)

And what of the Scots? Would they have used the wall and the ruined forts as shelter during their raids, like the one that leveled nearby Corbridge in 1296? My characters include peasants, lords, and sheriffs, so how would they have reacted?

My main character would have been nearly 50 years old at the time, and she survived for another 20 years. She was a businesswoman and became a respected town leader in her village near Corbridge, which we also visited on that trip.

All of this led me to wonder: As a businesswoman, did my historical character have contact with Scottish traders, as well as marauding bands? How would she have treated them, and how did they treat her?

These ideas and more went through my mind as we made our way back to the car park for the long journey back to Newcastle. Special thanks to Vince for starting us off with a tour through the lovely village of Corbridge and the former village of Dilston (see my article Accidental Pilgrims: A serendipitous visit to Corbridge for more.)

The three of us at the Twice Brewed Inn: Ann Marie (l), Marie, and Vince (r) (Photo by Dieter, with permission.)

Have you visited Hadrian’s Wall or the Housesteads Fort? What did you see and do there? Subscribe below to leave us a comment on your experiences.

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