A military community

A military community. . , A military community , Villages like Vindolanda were a vital part of the military occupation of Hadrian's Wall, and were planned extensions of the forts themselves. They provided extra space for facilities such as shops, workshops, additional housing and storage which could not easily be fitted inside the walls of a Roman fort. , Bath houses , Bath houses, like the one before you, served a vital function for the community. Buildings like these were not just places to get clean, but were recreation centres, providing an area for important social functions where soldiers and their families could work out or relax, gamble and gossip, or simply let off steam. They also provided important access to a public toilet, the only one of its type to be discovered in the village. , A garrison town , What would mark Vindolanda out as being different from most small towns in the Roman Empire would be the constant reminder that it was very much a military town. Soldiers going about their business either on or off duty would have made up a sizable part of the scene before you. Some of those men would have been 'dressed to kill’, wearing full military kit as they left or re-entered the town on official business, while others would be relaxing in the tavern or unwinding in the bath house.