Foundation Of A Roman Bathhouse

The Roman fort at Vindolanda was one of the most extensive and complex at Hadrian's Wall. The troops were not deprived of amenities. Below are the ruins of a Roman bathhouse, showing the substructure of the building, which was hollow and supported by stone pillars. Steam circulated among these pillars, heating the floor above. This allowed the troops to stride about barefoot in the midst of a January in Northumberland, temporarily assured of the comforts of the Mediterranean South.