Photographs of Birdoswald, a Roman Fort on Hadrian's Wall and the neighbouring village of Gilsland in Cumbria.
Birdoswald Roman Fort - Banna.
Birdoswald Fort was built alongside Hadrian's Wall in a stategic position high above the Irthing Gorge. Construction was completed by the end of the reign of Emperor Hadrian in AD 138 and was garrisoned by more than 800 men until the end of the 4th century. These troops were brought over from the countries now known as Romania and Bulgaria.
Birdoswald Roman Fort - Banna.
Birdoswald Fort was built alongside Hadrian's Wall in a stategic position high above the Irthing Gorge. Construction was completed by the end of the reign of Emperor Hadrian in AD 138 and was garrisoned by more than 800 men until the end of the 4th century. These troops were brought over from the countries now known as Romania and Bulgaria.
The Granneries at Birdoswald Roman Fort on Hadrian's Wall near Gilsland, Cumbria.
The Northern Tower at East Gate, Birdoswald Roman Fort, Hadrian's Wall, Cumbria.
Birdoswald Farmhouse beside Birdoswald Roman Fort 'Banna', near Gilsland in Cumbria.
Much of the building as seen today was was built by Henry Norman in 1858 around the remains of a 15-16th century farmhouse. Henry Norman was an antiquerian and chose to start excavating the foundations of the fort as part of his garden landscaping.
Birdoswald Farmhouse, Birdoswald near Carlisle, Cumbria.
The mock medieval tower of Birdoswald Farmhouse constructed by Henry Norman in the 19th century.
Hadrian's Wall, Birdoswald near Gilsland in Cumbria.
The section of wall near to Birdoswald Roman Fort is the longest continuous stretch of wall visible today.
Harrow's Scar: Milecastle 49 on Hadrian's Wall near Birdoswald Roman Fort in Cumbria.
Piper Sike Turret 51A, Hadrian's Wall near Birdoswald Roman Fort in Cumbria.
A defensive position abutting the structure of Hadrian's Wall, built just after 122 AD. Excavations showed an inner platform against the north wall which was probably a living space. Remains of cooking hearths and rubbish deposits were found in several places about the turret interior. The turret was probably only used for brief time; by the 2nd century it was abandoned. The walls now stand to an average height of 0.8 metres...The two turrets are very similar in design, and similar in how much of the structures remain.
Willowford Roman Bridge, Gilsland in Cumbria.
Remains of an abutment which supported the eastern side of a bridge that once carried Hadrian’s Wall across the River Irthing. The course of the river has since changed and the remains of the bridge lie quite a distance from the present day flow.
Willowford East Turret 48A, Hadrian's Wall, Gilsland in Cumbria.
St. Mary Magdalene's Church, Gilsland near Carlisle, Cumbria.
St. Mary Magdalene's Church was built in Early English style in the mid 1850s by James Stewart of Carlisle. The church was much funded by George G. Mousey who also erected what is now the Gilsland Spa Hotel (also designed by James Stewart).
Gilsland Spa Hotel, Gilsland, near Carlisle, Cumbria.
The Gilsland Spa Hotel was built as the Shaw’s Hotel in the 1740s and visited by Robbie Burns in 1787 and Walter Scott ten years later. The original hotel burned down in 1859 and was rebuilt on a grander scale to accommodate all the visitors who came here to see the Popping Stone and enjoy the restorative properties of the waters from the chalybeate and sulphur springs in the neighbouring woods. The building became a convalescent home in 1901, a military hospital during WW1 and a maternity hospital during WW2. In 1972 the Gilsland Spa Hotel was founded.
Gilsland Spa Sulphur Spring in the woodland of the Irthing Gorge at Gilsland near carlisle, Cumbria.
The outlet for the Spa’s famous sulphurous spring water was rebuilt in 1964. Today the flow is just a trickle but in the 1830s, writer William Ford said it flowed 'at the rate of two gallons and a half per minute'. He also wrote that the water was very transparent and 'sparkled briskly when poured from one tumbler to another, and although it did 'sit lightly on the stomach' it tasted acidulous and had a strong smell.