WE DID IT

WE DID IT!

The Birdoswald excavation

Territory volunteer manager Sophie Hearn on discovering two thousand years of history hidden beneath the soil.

Birdoswald Roman Fort lies in a narrow corridor between Hadrian’s Wall and a steep cliff above a meander of the river Irthing. Its story began in AD 122 with the construction of Hadrian’s Wall. The fort itself was added shortly after and occupied throughout the Roman period. At just over fi ve acres, Birdoswald was one of the larger forts on Hadrian’s Wall.

The Wall's construction The Wall was at fi rst built of turf. At Birdoswald, the builders of the turf Wall had to clear woodland and drain a small bog before construction could start. The fort may therefore have begun as a turf and timber construction, but this phase was not completed, and a stone fort was begun instead. The signifi cance of Birdoswald lies in its defences, which are some of the best preserved along the Wall.

We are able to know so much about Birdoswald’s story thanks to a century of successive excavations. As the only fort extensively excavated on the turf sector of Hadrian’s Wall, it has produced more archaeological evidence for the phases of the Wall’s construction than any other. It was also the fi rst fort to produce substantial evidence for what happened on the Wall when Roman rule in Britain ended. The fort, its vicus (civilian settlement) and cemetery have all been partially excavated. In addition, the extent of the vicus has been revealed through geophysics.

More to learn Despite the depth of research, there are still unanswered questions. In the summer of 2021 a new excavation was launched, in partnership with Newcastle University and Historic England. This programme of works will seek to learn more about the settlement around the fort and understand the community who called it home. Scheduled to run annually until 2026, volunteers have

I have enjoyed meeting visitors from all parts of the UK who have been so interested in the excavations, many visiting just for that experience

Main image Birdoswald with Bunkhouse This page, from left to right Les and Jane Gill; the excavation team; the main site; Donella Rozario.

played an integral role in sharing this fascinating work with the wider public.

With new discoveries being made almost daily, volunteer excavation guides have been at the forefront of new understandings and have inspired visitors to further explore this magical site.

Photography volunteers have also been on site to capture the excitement of this project.

Our volunteers Our volunteer excavation guides came from far and wide to be involved in the project. Some, such as Donella Rozario, live local to Birdoswald and were incredibly familiar with the site having previously volunteered as landscape guides. Donella explained why she found the dig so captivating: ‘I was really pleased to have the opportunity to be a tour guide for the excavations as they are such a new and exciting part of the development at Birdoswald. I have enjoyed meeting visitors from all parts of the UK who have been so interested in the excavations, many visiting just for that experience. It has been wonderful to be involved in seeing the excavations develop each week and hear from the experts what has been found so far.’

For others, guiding was a new experience, and Birdoswald a whole new site. Jane and Les Gill had been caring for free-to-enter sites along Hadrian’s Wall in the capacity of monitor volunteers when they decided to turn their hand to excavation guiding. ‘As we are both great lovers of anything to do with history, when we received an email asking if we would like to volunteer to do guided tours of Birdoswald fort and the archaeological dig that is taking place there, we jumped at the chance. What an enjoyable experience we have had. After a training session we were straight into the tours – a great chance to be able to work with the Birdoswald staff, the archaeologists and the students of Newcastle University. We have learned so much and hope that we will be able to continue the tours in some form after the dig has fi nished, as they have been very popular.’

Starting out, the potential for this dig was promising. Now, the opportunities going forward are equally as intriguing. So, if you happen to be in Northumberland before 2026, do make time to visit Birdoswald and discover this special place fi rst-hand. ■

What an enjoyable experience we've had

BE A PART OF IT Fancy getting your hands dirty? Find out how you can get involved at www.english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/birdoswald-roman-fort-hadrians-wall