The Whin Sill: Craster’s Ancient Spine
By Crasterfarian As a born and bred Crasterfarian, I’ve always wondered about the history of where I was brought up. The very fabric of the village… Read More »The Whin Sill: Craster’s Ancient Spine
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Nova Scotia: Dunstanburgh’s Sea-Gate
By Crasterfarian Tucked below the Great Keep and South Wall of Dunstanburgh Castle lies an inlet locals call Nova Scotia, the Castle’s little harbour. Visitors’ eyes… Read More »Nova Scotia: Dunstanburgh’s Sea-Gate
Roman Pragmatism and Experimentation in the North
By The Crasterfarian When people picture a Roman fort, they often imagine the neat, playing-card rectangle that appears in every textbook. It’s a shape built on… Read More »Roman Pragmatism and Experimentation in the North
The Coquet Roman Complex: A Forgotten Artery of the Frontier
A Theory by The Crasterfarian and Anthony Simm Background The River Coquet is absent from conventional accounts of Roman military infrastructure in Northumberland. Yet when… Read More »The Coquet Roman Complex: A Forgotten Artery of the Frontier
Peel Gap: The Oddball Turret of Hadrian’s Wall
By Crasterfarian The original layout of Hadrian’s Wall is famed for its order, or it was until they decided to add the forts but, in its… Read More »Peel Gap: The Oddball Turret of Hadrian’s Wall
Housesteads: How Rome Changed the British Diet
By Crasterfarian We’ve read a lot recently in articles I’ve written about the importance of water to the Romans. The aqueducts at Cilurnum (Chesters) and Aesica… Read More »Housesteads: How Rome Changed the British Diet
Seven Castles in One View — Ros Castle Trig Point and Hillfort, Northumberland
By Crasterfarian This first picture is looking south into the low winter sun, down over Blawearie and several other Iron and Bronze Age hillforts. Fascinatingly, the… Read More »Seven Castles in One View — Ros Castle Trig Point and Hillfort, Northumberland
Brocolitia: Sacred Springs and Frontier Faith
By Crasterfarian In previous articles, we’ve explored the layered religious landscape of the Roman North — from the reused pagan site at Hartburn, where Dr. Sharpe… Read More »Brocolitia: Sacred Springs and Frontier Faith
High and Dry: Why Housesteads Should Have Been Built Elsewhere
By Crasterfarian Housesteads Roman Fort, perched high on the Whin Sill, is one of the most iconic sites on Hadrian’s Wall. Its dramatic position, panoramic views,… Read More »High and Dry: Why Housesteads Should Have Been Built Elsewhere
The Lost Aqueduct of Aesica: A Roman Marvel in Northumberland
By Crasterfarian We’ve all stood in awe of the grand Roman aqueducts that still rise across the landscapes of Europe: feats of precision engineering that carried… Read More »The Lost Aqueduct of Aesica: A Roman Marvel in Northumberland