The Requirement

Many of our customers are involved in amazing projects and The Vindolanda Trust, with a special team of archaeologists, geoarchaeologists, and scientists from two of the north’s leading Universities (Newcastle and Teesside Universities) is just one such project we are very proud to be involved with.  The Vindolanda Trust aims to make the archaeological research of the sites at Hadrian’s Wall, available to anyone who might be interested.  The team, in consultation with Historic England, has been undertaking vital work to understand how historic land management and future climate change may be damaging the sensitive archaeological deposits of the World Heritage Site of Hadrian’s Wall at the fort of Magna. By monitoring the impact of climate change, on the 13-acre site they hope to ensure that there is no detriment to the structures and artifacts that are yet to be discovered. The Trust, with a vision to inspire all through the preservation of history, estimates that there are still several hundred years to go before the site is fully explored and its secrets revealed.

Our Solution

We have installed a telemetered Data Collection system monitoring soil moisture, pH, electrical conductivity, and meteorological information including precipitation. The data is collected every 10 minutes and uploaded hourly to the cloud-based server which the researchers can access via the portal vanwaltCONNECT for detailed analysis of the ground conditions. With multiple types of sensors, all attached to a single vanwaltDataHub, with a dual solar panel installation to keep batteries topped up, the team get real time data 24/7.

The work of The Vindolanda Trust and our equipment were featured in an episode of the BBC’s Countryfile: Hadrian’s Wall available here.

Photograph courtesy of The Vindolanda Trust: Magna Fort with Walltown Crags beyond