Vindolanda strikes gold on Hadrian's Wall

In the spring of 1970, the newly formed Vindolanda Charitable Trust had a 13-acre field, a garden shed, some basic tools and £21 in the bank. More than half a century later, its Roman fort and museum near Hadrian's Wall has been named one of England's very best visitor attractions.

In November 2025 Roman Vindolanda Fort and Museum received the VisitEngland Gold Award for the first time, recognising what the Trust called its "outstanding visitor experience and exceptional quality". Deputy chief executive Colin Galloway said the award "recognises the dedicated work of our entire team of staff and volunteers".

Vindolanda was a Roman auxiliary fort just south of Hadrian's Wall, near Bardon Mill, guarding the Stanegate road. Excavations show it was occupied from roughly AD 85 to 370 and rebuilt several times along the way.

It is best known for the Vindolanda writing tablets. Robin Birley and his team found the first of them in 1973, and when they were discovered they were the oldest surviving handwritten documents in Britain. Among them is a party invitation from one officer's wife to another, a wonderfully human glimpse of life on the frontier.

The Birley family's connection runs deep. Archaeologist Eric Birley bought the house at Chesterholm, where the museum now stands, in the 1930s, and his sons, grandson and Barbara Birley have continued the work. The Trust estimates that only 27 per cent of Vindolanda has been excavated, and over 400 volunteers join the digs each year.

In 1971 the Trustees bought the fort at Magna, Carvoran, about seven miles to the west, and the first museum opened at Chesterholm in the spring of 1975. Today the Trust runs the Roman Army Museum and Magna Fort alongside Vindolanda, and more than 5.3 million people have visited its two sites. It employs 53 local staff, making it one of the largest tourism employers in Tynedale.

There is plenty on this autumn. Artist Susie MacMurray's installation Again & Again & Again runs at the museum until 31 December 2026, and free 45-minute guided tours of the fort continue until the end of the year.

Joint tickets for Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum are available on the Vindolanda website.