Chesterholm Vindolanda The fort of Vindolanda lies just a few miles south of Hadrian's Wall on the Stanegate. It was originally founded by Agricola in the AD 80s. From its origin until the Hadrianic period there were at least five succeeding timber forts, each built on top of its predecessor without entirly demolishing the former structures. This explains the extensive remains with the earliest periods in about 6 m depth. The famous wooden writing tablets are dating to the earliest phases of the fort. They survived because they were sealed in mud and water without oxygene. These tablets provide a very valuable epigraphic source which seldom survived giving even details about private life in this fort. In the same horizon leather shoes and even wooden tools have been discovered. Under Trajan it became part of the Stanegate system serving as one of the major sites along this frontier line. In AD 122 Hadrian visited Britain and planned himself a new massive frontier system just north of the Trajanic Stanegate line. A huge timber courtyard just outside the fort of Vindolanda might have been the emperors residence during his stay in Britain. Maybe it also provided accommodation for the governor Aulus Platorius Nepos who had to supervise the building of Hadrian's Wall. Reconstruction of Hadrian's Wall Fort and Vicus Bath House and Fort However after the original plan of Hadrian's frontier Vindolanda was one of the hinterland forts securing the area. With the forts directly moved up to the wall it was shortly abandoned, but there are hints that even later in Hadrian's reign some of the hinterland forts like Vindolanda and Carvoran were reoccupied. Probably there was a need to strengthen the central sector of Hadrian's Wall, possibly against raiding parties from the North. In the mid second century the first stone fort was built. This appears to be rebuilt in the early third century. The visible remains today date to a reconstruction under Constantius I. Roman troops were stationed in Vindolanda right to the end of Roman Britain in the 5th century. Just outside the fort lies the best preserved vicus/civil settlement in Britain. The more important buildings of the vicus were a mansio/rest-house and the forts bath-house. The vicus was occupied from the mid-second century to the late third century (with a possible short break). The Stanegate The Original Plan The Hadrianic Plan Modifications