Granary, Housesteads Roman Fort, Hadrian's Wall

Granary or horreum, used to store the huge quantities of food required by hundreds of soldiers, with strong buttressed stone walls with air vents, an overhanging roof to keep rain away and raised floors to allow air circulation, at Housesteads Roman Fort, on Hadrian's Wall, Northumberland, England. The granary is on the highest, driest part of the fort, and had 2 storeys with a roof supported on a row of 6 pillars. 2 entrances faced an open area for easy unloading and turning of carts. This building was later modified into 2, visible today, each with its own roof. Housesteads Fort was built in 124 AD and is the most complete Roman fort in Britain, built by legionaries to house 10 centuries of auxiliary soldiers based on the frontier. Hadrian's Wall was built 73 miles across Britannia, now England, 122-128 AD, under the reign of Emperor Hadrian, ruled 117-138, to mark the Northern extent of the Roman Empire and guard against barbarian attacks from the Picts to the North. The wall was fortified with milecastles with 2 turrets in between, and a fort about every 5 Roman miles. This section of the Wall is in the Northumberland National Park, managed by the National Trust, and the Hadrian's Wall Path, an 84-mile coast to coast long distance footpath, runs alongside it. Picture by Manuel Cohen

Picture No

13434667

Media ID

45118284

Size

7087px x 4649px (10.6MB)

Credit

Manuel Cohen / Mary Evans

Source

Photograph by Manuel Cohen