13 September 2021
Please read all of the below information including the COVID information before registering for this event.
We meet in the Housesteads Roman Fort car park.
On this walk we will visit both a Roman fort and a Roman quarry so that we can compare the sandstone used to build the fort with a possible source of its stone. Will begin by looking at the stones used to build Housesteads Roman Fort. We will look at the sandstone used to construct the forts outer walls and inner structures to explore whether different types of stone were used for different buildings, and we will cover geological methods used to recognise different types of sandstone. We will then move to the Wall itself and follow it east towards Sewingshields Crags.
After walking along a stretch of the crags we will cross the Wall and head north towards Queen’s Crag quarry. Here will see a Roman inscription which mentions the names of two centurions who were working in the quarry. We will also look at the quarry and discuss what methods were used by Roman quarrymen to extract stone and transport it long distances.
In summary we will be:
• Examining the building materials of Housesteads Fort
• Learning about Latin inscriptions
• Looking at different types of evidence for quarrying
Please note that this walk will cover some difficult terrain over the crags and at the quarry. There are steep slopes which we will be going up and down, we will need to climb over stiles to access fields, and the quarry has rubble which can be hazardous to walk over. Make sure you are wearing safe footwear and please tell one of the walk leaders straight away if you need a break at any point. There will only be one public toilet on this walk at Housesteads fort.
Click here to register for this event.
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 out exploring rocks.
- Please bring your own hand gel and mask if you wish to wear one.
- Sturdy footwear is essential ie walking boots preferable but wellingtons ok – trainers not acceptable.
- Please bring appropriate clothing. You will need waterproofs if it is raining.
- Volunteers will need transport to the start point.
- If you have a camera/phone please bring this with you so that you can record pictures of the rocks to remind yourself of what you have seen.
- Please bring your own water and picnic lunch.