The Ideal Stay if You Can’t Get Romans Out of Your Head

According to Tik Tok evidence, men think about the Roman Empire at least once a week, daily, or three times a day in some cases.[i]  Despite this obsession, over a quarter (27%) of British men have never seen the Roman UNESCO World Heritage Site of Hadrian’s Wall![ii]

This is the finding of independent research commissioned by Northumberland castle hotel, Langley Castle, which is urging Brits to put a visit to Hadrian’s Wall on their bucket list.

In total 36% of Brits have never seen the remains of Emperor Hadrian’s remarkable defences.  That’s because 45%of women have never visited the Wall. 

Depending on where you live in the UK also influences whether you have or haven’t seen the structure, of which remaining parts from AD 122 can still be viewed.  Least likely to have seen it are those living in the South West (53%) Wales (48%) and the East of England (43%).

Langley Castle is a fortified medieval castle hotel, believed to have more authentic features than any other castle hotel of its period within England. Its seven-feet-thick walls are said to include stones hauled from Hadrian’s Wall.[iii]

The use of the stones conveys Langley Castle’s proximity to the wall and its ideal location for anyone wishing to explore Roman history.

Hadrian’s Wall can be spotted on the horizon from the top of the castle, by those enjoying the daily ‘Battlements Tour’.  Roman Vindolanda is just 14 minutes away and Housesteads Fort 15 minutes.  In under 20 minutes, visitors can reach Roman Corbridge, Chesters Roman Fort and Cawfields, with its fantastic views and milestone.

The Roman Army Museum and  Birdoswald, both to the west, can be reached in 22 and 29 minutes respectively and all other Roman Wall sites in Northumberland are easily accessible in under an hour.

Whilst the impression is often that you have to be a walker or hiker to enjoy Hadrian’s Wall, walking the 73 miles coast to coast, that simply isn’t true.  You can dip in and out of 15 different forts, plus turrets, milestones and Roman sites, some with museums and interpretation and others just left on the landscape as visible evidence of Roman times.

All of this becomes very evident if Langley Castle guests take up the opportunity to not just see Hadrian’s Wall for the first time but also have its history of and details of daily life around it, during Roman times, brought to life.  This can be done by booking a tour with historic interpreters, Ancient Britain (https://www.ancientbritain.org), who pick guests up from the castle and take them out for a Roman adventure and voyage of exploration that creates memories for a lifetime.

Whilst there is a little gentle walking – to a milestone, viewpoint or museum site – guests are driven in comfort and, depending on tour, also introduced to a great local lunch spot.

By feeling the weight of weaponry, learning how life was lived in a fort or at a milestone, discovering what the auxiliaries on the Wall would have eaten or how they stayed warm, or finding out which parts of the globe they had been plucked from by the Roman Empire, visitors can gain a deep understanding of the times.

This is crucial as, wonderful though it is to put on the walking boots and take in the fresh air and breathtaking views when walking along the Wall, knowing what the elements left on the landscape are trying to tell you is key. 

Would you spot the outline of the fearsome Vallum earthwork yourself and know how it worked?  Would you have a clue about the Dacians, Frisians, Asturians or crack Syrian archers who were brought to this wild northwest frontier of the Roman Empire?  Do you know what was discovered in Coventina’s Well or what messages were discovered on the Vindolanda tablets?  And what do you know about the Roman burger?

Ancient Britain tours can be 2 hour (£30), half-day (£55) or full-day (£95) experiences and can be tailored to suit an individual party, whether it comprises children, those with a particular Roman history interest or a desire to see something specific. Children receive a 25% discount. Some admission prices are included in the tour price, which is priced per person.

Having had this incredible insight and seen Roman Life through the eyes of expert interpreters, Langley Castle guests can return to a castle also steeped in a rich history, from the time of Edward III, through the very troubled Jacobite times of past owners and on to the Victorian era, when it was restored. All of this is conveyed during the free Battlements Tour.

Langley Castle, a Silver winner at the national Visit England Awards 2023, offers guests a choice of accommodation either inside the castle, where there are five Feature and four Deluxe rooms, or in the grounds within Castle View, a converted stable block, or Castle Lodge.

Inside the castle, they can lounge in a four-poster bed, which 28% of Brits say they have never done, enjoy an authentic castle hotel stay (which has escaped 43% so far in their lives) and often have the thrill of sitting in a raised window seat set into the walls within their room, from which they can gaze down like the King or Queen of the castle.

Castle View and Castle Lodge accommodation is ideal for lower budgets or those wanting more contemporary rooms.  Guests can still head into the glorious castle for their hearty Northumbrian breakfast, for dinner served in the 2AA Rosette Josephine dining room or to relax in front of a roaring fire in winter and beneath twinkling chandeliers all year round, in the incredible Drawing Room.  

Those that can control their goosebumps can also step up into a window seat and use it as a cosy book nook.  A relaxed dining menu is available here, as well as refreshments and an array of afternoon teas options, available to residents and non-residents.

All of this gives all those men, who just can’t stop thinking about the Roman Empire, and anyone else, great reason to head to Langley Castle and soak up history in abundance.

Castle rooms cost from £330 (per room, per night), whilst stays in Castle View are priced from £155 (prpn) and those in Castle Lodge from £125 (prpn).  Head to www.langleycastle.co.uk to book.

[i] https://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/2023/09/14/roman-empire-trend-men-tiktok/#

[ii] Independent survey of 1000 adults carried out by Censuswide for Langley Castle Hotel

[iii] In the centuries after the Romans had abandoned their defence mechanism, the Wall’s materials were ‘recycled’ by the local population, which is why only some of the structure remains to this day.

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Editors notes

Langley Castle, built in 1350, is located in Langley-on-Tyne, Northumberland and is one of the few authentic, fortified medieval castles in England. It has a rich history, with strong links to Jacobite rebellions, is located just a stone's throw from the World Heritage Site of Hadrian's Wall and boasts features including battlements, seven-feet-thick walls, window seats set into the walls and the best example of medieval garderobes in Europe. It is one of the most exquisite wedding venues in the north and also offers a wide range of options when it comes to exclusive use, with the castle being available for weddings, family celebrations, Bar Mitzvahs and Bat Mitzvahs, D&D-style events and a wide variety of corporate functions.