IMPORTANT – Please Note!!
Epiacum fort is located on a working farm, and there are sheep and cattle in the fields. To help the famers (John and Ian), please leave gates as you find them and keep all dogs on a lead.
The views are spectacular, but do come prepared to get mucky and wet! The ground is soft peaty grassland and is frequently extremely muddy, uneven, steep and slippery, and you can be very exposed to the weather. Make sure you dress for the weather and be prepared for it to change very quickly! You should definitely consider wearing sturdy waterproof footwear and water and windproof clothing.
Epiacum is a scheduled ancient monument. This means:
– Please leave objects where you find them
– No metal detecting allowed
– No digging allowed
You are welcome to take photographs, and to tell us that you have found something (message us on @epiacum on twitter or facebook), but it is ILLEGAL TO DIG OR REMOVE AN ITEM from the scheduled site. If you move something, we loose most of the information about it, because we can’t know for sure which part of the site it came from – there are so many layers of history here, we really need very precise contexts!
Where is Epiacum Roman Fort?
The fort is on Castle Nook and Whitlow farm, and is easily reached walking from our car park on the A689 (Alston to Brampton road). The nearest postcode is CA9 3BG. The Pennine Way and Isaac’s Tea Trail walking routes pass the side of the site, and you can also walk up from the Kirkhaugh station on South Tynedale Railway and the South Tyne Trail.
The Nook Farm Shop & Cafe
Why not drop in for a coffee and a snack at The Nook Farm Shop & Cafe? More details can be found on their website or Facebook page.
They can cater for all dietary needs and offer full disabled access. If you need further information, please do get in touch on 07415029398
There’s always a good selection on the menu and the staff will be delighted to see you! If the weather Gods smile, you can sit outside and take in the wonderful views, failing that sit inside and read some of the information panels that we hope you’ll find interesting.
Toilets are available but only when it’s open.
When is it open?
Epiacum is open all year round. The site is designated “Open Access”and we welcome visitors and are working hard to help you understand the site more fully, whatever age you are!
Trail Routes
Feel free to download one of our leaflets below by clicking on it or pick one of our trail leaflets shown below in the Nook or Centurion’s hut and explore the landscape. The leaflets should open in a new window, so please check your browsers allows that.
Geocaching
We have our own geocache Epiacum View hidden on site and our trackable minifigure, Centurion Marcus. Go to Geocaching.com to find out how to play this GPS treasure hunting game. Centurion Marcus, our minifigure, has a special message for any young recruits.
Railway Walk
The walking route between Kirkhaugh Station on the South Tynedale Railway’s Kirkhaugh Station is waymarked in both directions. You can download the railway walk leaflet. To see what time the trains are running please visit www.south-tynedale-railway.org.uk
Please leave an additional donation if you take one or more of our leaflets, so that we can reprint them for other visitors to enjoy.
We are always pleased to arrange guided tours for groups upon request. Please contact us if you would like to arrange a group visit.