Roman Britain: Romans at the Edge of Empire

B=Breakfast, L=Lunch, D=Dinner

Friday, June 20, 2025: Depart home

Saturday, June 21: Arrive Manchester, ENGLAND | Transfer to Chester | The Grosvenor Museum
Arrive at Manchester Airport (MAN), where you will be met and transferred as a group (time TBD) to our hotel in Chester. En route to the hotel, we will stop at The Grosvenor Museum in Chester to view the Newstead Roman Gallery. The Gallery displays Roman artifacts that tell the story of Chester’s legions and fortress, as well as Roman tombstones that provide insight into the lives of the soldiers, slaves, women, and children who lived in Chester. After we check-in to our hotel, we will gather for dinner at a local restaurant. Overnight at the 4-star Hotel Indigo Chester for two nights. (D)

Sunday, June 22: Chester: Walking tour – Roman amphitheater, Chester Cathedral | PM at leisure | Welcome dinner
This morning set out on a walking tour of Chester, which was established as a Roman fortress in the 1^st century A.D. and today has the most complete ancient city walls in Britain. We will take in the ruins of Britain’s largest Roman amphitheater, dating back to the late 1st century A.D., which was used for entertainment and military training. Then, we will continue to Chester Cathedral, the site itself thought to have been used for Christian worship since Roman times. The present building is a Benedictine Abbey built over an earlier Saxon Minster, and retains much of its original 12^th-century structure. Enjoy an independent lunch and time on your own in Chester until we gather this evening for a welcome dinner. (B,D)

Monday, June 23: York: Walking tour, York Minster, Baile Hill
After breakfast, we drive to York (Roman Eboracum), established by the Romans in A.D. 71. Upon arrival we take a walking tour of this city that played a pivotal role in the history of England as a Roman garrison town (Emperor Hadrian held court here during his campaign), a Viking stronghold, and a prosperous medieval city. Walk along the medieval city walls, visit the ruined 11^th-century St. Mary’s Abbey, and marvel at the exterior of the imposing Gothic cathedral. After an independent lunch, we visit York Minster, a medieval masterpiece of stone and glass in the heart of York. The site it sits upon is believed to be near or in a former Roman principia (military headquarters). After checking in to our hotel, we will explore Baile Hill, the motte and only remaining feature of Old Baile (Baile Hill Castle), constructed in the 11^th century following the Norman conquest. The balance of the day and dinner are on your own. Overnight at the 4-star Hilton York for two nights. (B)

Tuesday, June 24: York: Yorkshire Museum and Gardens, Optional tour of the Roman Baths Museum OR the Jorvik Viking Center
This morning we visit the Yorkshire Museum, home to nearly one million archaeological objects from prehistoric times up until the 20th century. The majority of its Roman objects come from York and Yorkshire. Objects such as the statue of Mars; the bust of Constantine; and the tombstone of Lucius Duccius Rufinus, standard bearer of the Ninth Legion; have all been found in York. The Museum Gardens are famous for their collection of trees, shrubs, perennials, and bulbs, including six county Champion Trees ranging between 80 and 150 years old. After an independent lunch, take an optional tour of the Roman Baths Museum or of the Jorvik Viking Center. The Roman Baths are located in the cellar of a pub and were originally built by the Ninth Legion sometime between A.D. 71 and 122. Once believed to be around 200 square meters, today only the caldarium (hot room), a small section of the frigidarium (cold room), and a single plunge pool have been excavated. The Jorvik Viking Center was first discovered during a five-year archaeological excavation named the Coppergate Dig, which produced 40,000 different archaeological layers and discovered over 250,000 pieces of pottery, 5 metric tons of animal bones, and 40,000 individually interesting objects. Visit the artifact gallery to view some of the 1,000 items on display. The balance of the day and dinner are on your own. (B)

Wednesday, June 25: Castlerigg Stone Circle | Keswick | Windermere Lake Cruise | Optional hike | Windermere
This morning we depart York and journey to the Lake District. Our first stop is at Castlerigg Stone Circle, among the earliest Neolithic British circles. Enjoy panoramic views with the mountains of Helvellyn and High Seat as a backdrop. We will drive through the breathtaking Lake District National Park and stop in Keswick for a walk. After an independent lunch, we continue to Windermere and enjoy a cruise on Windermere Lake, England’s largest lake. Time permitting, and for those of us feeling adventurous, enjoy a walk around Ambleside to view Roman remains; or hike to Ambleside Roman Fort, a 2^nd-century fort with large granaries, built under Hadrian’s rule. This evening we check-in to our hotel and then gather for dinner. Overnight at the 4-star Merewood Country House Hotel for two nights. (B,D)

Thursday, June 26: Hardknott Roman Fort and Thermae | Ravenglass Roman Bath House | Windermere
After breakfast, we drive over the mountain pass of Wrynose Pass and the hill pass of Hardknott Pass to visit Hardknott Roman Fort and Thermae, a remote fort founded under Hadrian’s rule in the 2^nd century. Remains of the three most important buildings—the granaries, headquarters building, and commandant’s house—are well-preserved at the center of the fort. Hardknott was one of three forts that secured Roman control of the Lake District. It offers spectacular views as far as the Isle of Man. We will stop for an independent lunch, perhaps at a country pub, before taking a short drive to Ravenglass Roman Bath House, one of the tallest Roman structures surviving in northern Britain. Briefly explore this well-preserved Roman building, highlighting the culture that Romans brought to Britain, before heading back to Windermere along the scenic Cumbrian coastal road. This evening, we gather for dinner at our hotel. (B,D)

Friday, June 27: Newcastle upon Tyne: Great North Museum: Hancock | South Shields: Arbeia Roman Fort | Matfen
We depart the Lake District this morning and journey to Newcastle upon Tyne. There we visit the Great North Museum: Hancock, a museum of natural history and ancient civilizations. At the core of its Roman collection is a group of carved and inscribed stones from Hadrian’s Wall and its outpost forts and hinterland sites. Roman pottery, jewelry, armor, weapons, and domestic items are also part of the collection. After an independent lunch we continue to South Shields, a coastal town in South Tyneside and home to Arbeia, a Roman fort that guarded the main sea route to Hadrian’s Wall. We will spend time at this full-scale Roman reconstruction exploring significant finds from Roman Britain, all found in and around Arbeia, including the tombstone of Regina who was first a slave, then a freedwoman, then the wife of a merchant. Afterwards, check-in to our hotel and gather for dinner. Overnight at the 4-star Matfen Hall hotel for two nights. (B,D)

Saturday, June 28: Corbridge Roman Town | Chesters Roman Fort and Museum | Temple of Mithras | Matfen
After breakfast, we take a short drive to Corbridge Roman Town, a once bustling town and supply base until the end of Roman Britain in the early 5^th century, located a couple of miles from Hadrian’s Wall. Walk through the remains of the town’s streets and experience where Romans and civilians would rest, relax, and pick up food and provisions. Corbridge was only one of two considerably sized towns in the Hadrian’s Wall area. The on-site museum displays one of the most significant finds in Roman history, the Corbridge ‘Hoard,’ one of the most influential Roman “time capsules” ever discovered in the area. After an independent lunch in the village of Corbridge, we take a short drive to Chesters Roman Fort, the most complete Roman cavalry fort in Britain. Visit the ruins of the bath house, commanding officer’s house, and cavalry soldiers’ quarters. We will also visit the fort’s museum and see the famous Clayton Collection, a collection of inscriptions and sculptures, painted wall plaster, delicate glasswork, and intriguing graffiti. Next, we visit the Temple of Mithras, built by soldiers of Carrawburgh. The temple, built ca. A.D. 200, was once part of the civilian settlement established outside a nearby fort. We return to Matfen for the balance of the day at leisure to explore the lovely estate grounds of our hotel and have an independent dinner. (B)

Sunday, June 29: Vindolanda | Roman Army Museum | Edinburgh, SCOTLAND
Today, on our way to Edinburgh, Scotland, we stop at Vindolanda, which was built by the Roman army before Hadrian’s Wall existed and eventually became an important construction and garrison base for the Wall. Located on the northern frontier of Britain, it is one of Europe’s most important Roman archaeological sites and is particularly dear to your AIA lecturer, Dr. Greene, who has been part of the archaeological team at Vindolanda since 2002. We have an independent lunch at Vindolanda’s café and then visit the nearby Roman Army Museum, showcasing findings from Vindolanda. The objects tell the story of life on the frontier, including the only surviving helmet crest made of delicate hair moss. Continue on to Edinburgh, where we check-in to our hotel and then gather for dinner. Overnight at the 4-star Kimpton Charlotte Square for three nights. (B,D)

Monday, June 30: Edinburgh: Walking tour, National Museum of Scotland | PM at leisure
This morning we walk the medieval streets of Edinburgh, learning about its impressive history. Walk along the Royal Mile, a bustling thoroughfare filled with stunning architecture; Princes Street Gardens, a 37-acre park separating Old Town from the New Town; and Calton Hill, which offers panoramic views of the city and is home to neoclassical structures such as the National Monument, City Observatory, and Dugald Stewart Monument. Next, we visit the sizeable Prehistoric and Roman Archaeology collection at the National Museum of Scotland. The balance of the day and dinner are on your own in Edinburgh. (B)

Tuesday, July 1: Scottish Borders: Abbotsford, Melrose Abbey | Edinburgh | Farewell dinner
After breakfast, we travel to the Scottish Borders to explore the area. We stop at Abbotsford, the former home of writer Sir Walter Scott, which sits on the banks of the River Tweed. Its rooms are just the way they were left at the time of Scott’s death, including his personal library. Stroll through the stunning gardens first created from Scott’s imagination. After an independent lunch in Melrose we visit the grounds, cloister, and museum of Melrose Abbey, a focal point of the Borders. The Abbey, founded in 1136 by David I, is considered a model of medieval church architecture anywhere in the British Isles. Return to Edinburgh and freshen up before we gather for a farewell dinner. (B,D)

Wednesday, July 2: Fly home
Transfer this morning to Edinburgh Airport (EDI) for flights homeward. (B)