Excavations at Birdoswald

Encountering / Exploring our Roman Heritage

Penrith Ladies Lunch Club holds its meetings at the Roundthorn Country House between September – April, on the second Thursday in the month. One of the talks is selected for a summer excursion.
On 31st July, a group of Penrith Ladies Lunch Club members and their friends visited the

L-R : Sharon McIntosh; Pam Bright; Irene Altham

Roman site of Birdoswald, on Hadrian’s Wall. The tour was led by Bruce Bennison, who has been a professional archaeologist and involved in the excavations at the site over a number of years.
Last November, Bruce gave a fascinating presentation about the history of Birdoswald and showed the group pictures of the excavations of the bath house, which had taken place during the summer. The bathhouse had originally been used by all the inhabitants of the fort. The water was collected in downpipes from the roofs of the buildings, as the river water was too difficult to access because it was at the bottom of the steep valley. The stacks of tiles that were uncovered indicated that the water was heated by an underfloor heating system with a boiler in the middle of the floor supported by three metal bars. Only one other identical structure has been found at a Roman villa elsewhere in the UK.
Although we were unable to see these excavations as the site has been covered over to preserve it for future generations, during our walk around what remains of the rest of the fort, Bruce helped us to imagine what it would have been like in Roman times: filled with the busy hustle and bustle of a crowded settlement with carts of goods and soldiers on horseback entering through the huge arched gates set into the walls.
During the afternoon, after a leisurely lunch at the aptly named Mile Castle Inn, the group visited Vindolanda, where they walked around the extensive area that has already been excavated and marvelled at the finds that are exhibited in the Roman Museum. Bruce pointed out the pair of size 13 leather shoes – which probably once belonged to a tall, sturdy soldier – and the letters that had been discovered on wooden tablets, which include a party invitation written by a woman two thousand years ago. (The only evidence of a female’s handwriting from the Roman period that has ever been discovered.)
The 2025-26 Penrith Ladies Lunch Club Programme is now available. We welcome new members. Try a free taster session! Enjoy an excellent 2-course lunch in convivial company and then listen to an interesting presentation. The first talk of the season, on 11th September, is about ‘Reflexology’ by Becky Nicholson. Pre-booking is essential. Further details can be found at www.penrithllc.org or contact Sue: 0772 9409747