Housesteads, known as Vercovicium to the 1,000 soldiers garrisoned there, is the best preserved Roman fort in Britain. Standing on a hilltop alongside Hadrian's Wall, it was built in the 2nd century AD and used by the Romans for 300 years. During the late 17th century it was utilised as a stockade for stolen livestock by a family of notorious Border Reivers.

The building illustrated is the remains of a granary. The stone pillars supported a raised floor to keep grain dry and free from vermin.