15 July 2021
Please read all of the below information including the COVID information before registering for this event.
Chesters Roman fort occupies a pleasant position on the west bank of the North Tyne, guarding a key route from the north to Hadrian’s Wall, and the Roman town of Corbridge only a few miles to the southeast. Excavations between 1850-1970 have revealed a number of interesting buildings in and around the fort, and Examining the Wall’s Stone here allows us to consider the great variety of stone shaped for the more specialized buildings and structures associated with forts.
This full day of activity will include:
- An introduction to the archaeology and geology of Chesters Roman Fort
- Examining the stone in the fort buildings
- Stone carving session with professional stone carver Natasha Smith
About the Stone Carving Sessions
There will be a series of workshops throughout the day with small groups where you will be using hammer and stone-carving chisels to work with raw blocks of stone to find out how to carve stone under Natasha’s expert guidance. Trying out what it feels like to carve and inscribe stone is not only hugely satisfying but will also put you inside that Roman world and give an insight into the very nature of the different types of stone and how the Romans worked with these raw materials to create the Wall. The tools we will be using are almost identical to those that the Romans would have used!
COVID information: COVID-19 is a serious illness which is readily transmitted between people. To minimise the risk of passing on this disease during geo-walks, a process has been put in place. Whilst this gives a structure to manage the risk of transmission, for it to succeed there is a need for us to take individual responsibility to make this work. This is nothing new and I imagine you will already be doing this when you go out for shopping and other activities where you will be meeting people outside your own household. The three things that I would like us to do are:
- to be aware,
- to be considerate, and:
- to communicate.
To be aware of others around you so that you can negotiate how to remain distant from them
To be considerate. This is a difficult time, and we know that some people are more vulnerable than others. This includes the way that we feel about the situation and it is important to be aware of and respect others’ feelings and needs as we proceed.
To communicate. Humans are good at working out where we are physically in relation to others, however, to get the distancing sorted, using your awareness and consideration to communicate and negotiate your way around the walk is vital. Smiling, “you-go-firsts” and “I’ll leave the gate for you” amongst other considerations will oil the wheels of how this works, as well as making the day out more enjoyable.
Participants will be asked to perform a self-assessment of their health on the day of the walk. If they feel generally unwell and especially if they find that they have any of the currently recognised symptoms of COVID19, they will be asked to self-exclude from the walk and to let the leader know that they will not be attending.
The currently recognised symptoms of COVID19 illness can be found here:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-51048366
If participants find that they develop symptoms within 10 days after the walk please can you get in touch directly so that we can work as required with the government Track and Trace process.
Volunteer information:
- No previous experience required just come along and have a great morning investigating Wall stone!
- Please bring your own hand gel and mask if you wish to wear one.
- Please bring appropriate clothing and wear appropriate sturdy footwear. You will need waterproofs if it is raining.
- Volunteers will need to arrange their own transport.
- Please bring your own water and picnic lunch.
Please make sure you’ve read all of the above event information before registering.