Housesteads: Hadrian’s Wall and Roman Toilets!

Gabriel’s fascination with the Romans had taken on a life of its own, so on our trip up north, a visit to Housesteads Roman Fort on Hadrian’s Wall was a must.

Walking Hadrian’s Wall

Before exploring the fort, we followed a stretch of Hadrian’s Wall, picturing what it would have been like to stand guard with the wind sweeping over the moorlands. The vastness of the landscape made it clear why the wall was built here, marking the edge of the Roman Empire with such dramatic effect. Gabriel marched along as if he were one of the soldiers himself, declaring that his “post” had a much better view than anywhere else!

Discovering the Roman Fort

Perched on a high ridge with sweeping views across the rugged Northumberland landscape, Housesteads felt like stepping back in time to a world of Roman soldiers, ancient walls, and, as Gabriel was particularly thrilled to learn, Roman toilets!

As we walked through the stone ruins, we explored where the Roman soldiers would have lived, trained, and guarded the border of the empire nearly 2,000 years ago. Gabriel was quick to point out things he’d learned at school, like how the Romans designed forts with impressive defenses, making Housesteads an unyielding barrier along Hadrian’s Wall. He dashed between crumbled walls, pausing here and there to imagine where the soldiers might have slept or taken watch.

The Fascinating Roman Toilets

But it was when we reached the Roman latrines that Gabriel’s excitement reached its peak. Here were the famous Roman toilets! Unlike anything he’d ever seen, the communal toilets were a fascinating part of the soldiers’ daily lives. Gabriel was intrigued by the fact that the Romans had managed to bring running water to these latrines, flushing waste out of the fort—a brilliant design feature for its time. He asked endless questions about how the Romans used sponges on sticks, a detail he both found funny and fascinating!

Reliving Roman History

The trip to Housesteads brought Gabriel’s lessons from school to life in the most exciting way. Seeing ancient Roman ingenuity firsthand—from their incredible fort structures to their inventive toilets—was a perfect way to deepen his understanding of this fascinating era.

Our day at Housesteads reminded me that sometimes history is best learned through a little imagination, and Gabriel left with even more curiosity about the past than when we arrived.