Of all the forts on Hadrian's Wall, Housesteads is the one that most people picture. It stands on the edge of the Whin Sill, high above the moors, with long grey walls running along the ridge on either side and an enormous view in every direction. The Romans called it Vercovicium, and from the road it takes about ten minutes to walk up the hill from the car park and museum to the gate, with the wind in your face.
The garrison were auxiliary troops, not Roman citizens, recruited in the provinces, and Housesteads was held for long periods by a unit of Tungrians, soldiers from what is now Belgium, who must have found the climate here a shock. About eight hundred men lived here at times, with granaries, a hospital, a commander's house and a set of barrack blocks, and the remains of all of these can be seen. The famous communal latrine, a stone-lined bench over a drain with a channel of running water, is one of the best preserved in Britain and always attracts a crowd. Outside the walls, a village grew up, with shops, taverns and homes for the soldiers' families, and its foundations lie on the slope below. The fort is owned by the National Trust and managed by English Heritage, and there is a charge for entry and for parking.
For riders, the approach is the thing. The B6318 runs close to the fort, a narrow, undulating road with dips, crests and bends, patched and sometimes rutted. It is a road for riding slowly, because sheep wander across it and walkers cross at the car park. The Wall path above is among the best day walks in England, with Crag Lough, a small lake under the cliff, and the line of crags rising and falling in front of you. Weather changes fast: a bright morning can bring cloud and drizzle, and the wind on the crags is strong. Bring a warm layer even in July.
There are no services at the fort apart from a cafe by the car park, so buy fuel beforehand. Haydon Bridge, seven kilometres away, has about fifteen hundred people and a few shops, and Haltwhistle, a little farther, has fuel and more choice. Hexham, fifteen kilometres to the east, is the larger centre. Summer weekends are crowded, so aim for an early start or a weekday in spring or autumn, when the fort is quiet and the moors are purple with heather in late August.