A Syrian archer unit once garrisoned this hilltop. Carvoran was the Roman fort at the junction of the Wall with the Maiden Way, a road that ran north towards Scotland, and at one time the cohors I Hamiorum, an auxiliary unit raised in the city of Hama in Syria, was stationed here, men who had marched or sailed across the empire to guard a wet, windy ridge in Northumberland. A bronze grain measure found at Carvoran, the Carvoran modius, carries a long inscription that mentions the emperor Hadrian, and it gives a glimpse of how the garrison was supplied. The fort is mostly a grassy platform now, but the position, on a ridge with views over the Tyne Gap, shows why it was chosen.
Next to the site, the Roman Army Museum tells the story of the soldiers who served here, with good displays of weapons, armour and daily life, and some well-made models. It also has a short film about the Wall that is worth the time. The Wall itself runs just to the north along the line of the Whin Sill, a dark crag that stands out against the sky, and Walltown Crags and the Cawfields are a short ride in either direction.
The surrounding country is open moorland and pasture, with dry stone walls, scattered farms and a feeling of space. Curlews call over the fields in spring, and the grass smells of damp peat. The weather changes quickly, and a clear morning can turn into drizzle by noon. Wind is common on the ridge.
For a rider the road is a pleasure. The military road, the B6318, runs along the line of the Wall with long straights and rises, and the quieter lanes towards Haltwhistle and Greenhead are narrow, steep and twisting. Expect sheep on the road, gravel at the junctions and drivers in a hurry to get to Hadrian's Wall car parks. Haltwhistle, a few kilometres away, has fuel, a supermarket and a café or two, and Brampton and Haydon Bridge are further. The best months are May to September, and winter days can be icy.