More on Hadrian's Wall

Hi Everyone,

Sorry we've been away for almost 2 weeks, I've been finishing up the last two weeks of my first module at school (it's hard to believe that 6 weeks are almost over), and Kristin had one of her weekend shifts last weekend, so we were hustling around quite a bit, and didn't have time to write another post.

Kristin captured much of the glamour of Hadrian's Wall.  Incredible to stand along it's side, seeing the fallen ruins, or parts of the forts still buried under the Earth and to think of how much has changed since those stones were set in place.  The entire modern era, world wars, the industrial revolution, the enlightenment, modern thought, the greatest institutes of education of the day, the dark ages, even entire dynasties and eras have risen and fallen while those stones still stand in place.

Long smooth outer walls, impenetrable for advancing
armies, with a rabble core

While I stood beside the wall I also marvelled at how the outside face of the wall, still after nearly 2000 years remains an abrupt face, nearly perfectly vertical with very few outcroppings, or places where one could manage so much as a hand-hold.  The centre however, as we were able to now see, is all but a rubble, a pile of stones remaining that are mortared together for strength, but which appear to have been placed with little concern or thought.  A few examples to show are below.  The second photo is one of the only places that we saw in which natural forces (in this case the ground uplift at some point over the ages caused the wall to topple over).

The wall was tipped by the uplift of the ground

Another example of the different stones inside and outside of the wall

"Hey Sir, don't you think the sheer rock cliff should be enough to keep the northerners at bay, do we really have to build the wall straight up"?
"Yes"

Kristin and I were both marvelling at some of the ingenuity and thought that went into each and every one of the forts.  In Roman times, all of the forts would be built to the exact same standards and dimensions, so the soldiers knew exactly how to construct camp every night.  All of the forts that we saw included such luxuries as heated floors, a bath house, complete with hot, medium and cool areas, and a very advanced waste system to keep pee and poop downstream of the camp.  We didn't see any examples that were preserved of aquiducts to supply the forts, but saw mention in several places that they were likely in place to supply water to the soldiers.

As was long ago promised, I have also uploaded the audio I captured while we were in the Priory.  It was built around 1200-1300, and has stood in some form or another ever since, including through various attempts to destroy it.  

While we were in the sanctuary, the choir was warming up for a service set to begin in an hour.  I sat down and managed to catch the recording you can hear below.  

Singing in the Priory - You may have to save this and play it on VLC or another media player.  My phone used a strange file type to make the file.

Straighter than you would think possible 2000 years ago

The oldest grave stone I found at the Priory

A look from inside the chapel out to the abandoned back half

Ancient Roman Poo Troughs

Ancient Roman Five Fingers

Speaking of the Romans, we are off to Venice tomorrow morning for a four day weekend to see the city.  We have a gondola trip booked, entrance to a glass blowing museum, and a number of other historical sites to visit.  Stay tuned for more photos.