Romans and wine

I love looking through Wikipedia and finding wonderful articles on days gone by. This is probably what it was like when we only had an old copy of the Encyclopedia Britannica and maybe as a young lad you just had to reach up to the top book shelf and take it down.
See the article that I have been reading here
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ancient_Rome_and_wine

How wine played such an important part in the day to day life of the more well off Romans.
We had already looked at the tradition of saving snow to put in the wine ..see here.



These pictures show Dionysius the Roman of wine and then an amphora which is how the wine was generally stored.

Nowadays I guess we just have special mini cold rooms

Image credit.

Vindolanda reconstructed fort

Here is the reconstructed Roman fort at Vindolanda. Great for kids but also for adults.

Vindolanda reconstructed fort

Circular huts along Hadrians Wall

Apparently circular huts were not the usual style for Roman soldiers abroad and these are maybe an indication of Syrian or African troops along Hadrian's Wall.

Walkers who would like accommodation whilst exploring the Wall might like to look at our article on pet friendly cottages along the wall.

Cold winds along the Wall

What was it like up on the Wall when the bad weather came? Well i can promise you that now even with our warm field clothing it is bitter when that cold wind blows so goodness knows how the centurions managed nearly 2000 years ago.

Steel Rigg

Other useful reference for holidays along the wall.

Black Middens Bastle house

Black Middens Bastle house

In the isolated and remote Redesdale Valley just past Tarset lies this partly renovated ruin of a Bastle house.
There are no modern amenities out here and apart from the blacktop on the small road not much else has changed in this lonely part of Northumberland.

Gilsland and the long views

Gilsland.

Its the area around the town which we love so much. The long views with the Lake District in the background and of course the River Irthing and the gorge as it cuts it way to the sea.More info here.

Gilsland

Haytongate

Just before the Wall drops down to the Solway plain and with lovely views south to the Pennines and the Lake District hills you will find Haytongate.

View from Haytongate