Vindolanda Fort: Eco excavation HQ costing £300K to open

The new centre is being named after archaeologist Sir Robin Birley

A £300,000, all-year-round archaeological dig HQ is to be unveiled at a Roman fort in Northumberland.

To mark the 50th birthday of the Vindolanda Trust it commissioned the centre to be based at the Hexham Fort, near Hadrian's Wall.

To blend in with its surroundings its vaulted roof has been designed to mimic that of Roman Bath House roof.

The structure is being transported to the site in early March and will be unveiled on 1 April.

The Vindolanda Trust which runs the fort site is celebrating 50 years

The building is to be named after the trust's late founding director Dr Robin Birley.

He was a driving force behind the creation of Vindolanda as a visitor attraction and centre for education and scholarship, with hundreds of volunteers from all over the world taking part in annual excavations.

A trust spokesman said: "Unlike the previous wooden sheds, this new facility can be used all year round.

"The flexible internal space means that outside of the excavation season the building can be a classroom for educational visits, a base for archaeological workshops and post-excavation research."

The all-weather centre will mean work at the site can be carried out all year