A year of celebrations marking the 1900th anniversary of Hadrian's Wall may be coming to an end but the Roman Empire's Northern Frontier will continue to be one of Northumberland's premier tourist destinations for years (perhaps even centuries) to come.
And there's so much more to the wall than popular sites such as Sycamore Gap, Vindolanda and Corbridge Roman Town, though they are well worth spending a day, or at least an afternoon, exploring. One such site known as one of the 73-mile long UNESCO World Heritage site's hidden gems is Brocolitia: The Temple of Mithras in Northumberland National Park.
On a recent visit to the National Park, I took a walk to the temple which is just a ten-minute drive from the Sill and six from Housesteads Roman Fort. Built in the third century, the remains lie by Meggie's Dene Burn and the Hadrian's Wall path crosses the B6318 especially so that walkers don't miss them.
Read more: The hidden treasures you can visit along Hadrian's Wall
Cordoned off by a small fence, sheep have still managed to find their way in on the evidence of the small pellets found all around that I was eager not to get on my trainers. Looking out across the frozen Northumberland countryside, a freezing wind whipped the exposed parts of my face causing it to sting with the sub-zero temperature.
A headless statue stood just out of reach, as did the three altars and what would have once been columns holding the temple up. One held shells, coins, stones, even a pine cone bound by ice.
But I couldn't get to them because when I visited, the North East was coming out of a cold snap which had seen severe weather warnings and snow from an Arctic wind. While the temperatures were gradually clawing their way back to zero, the elements hadn't yet relinquished control of the temple, leaving it encased in ice.
And it was absolutely stunning. To see a relic dating back so long would be impressive anyway, but the frozen water creating an ice rink over the floor took it to another level.
As I got closer, I could hear the ice cracking and the water moving underneath - I'd not even brought walking boots, never mind ice skates, so I didn't find out what it was like to go in the temple. However, it's so petite that you can see every stone with a thirty second walk around it.
I know the Temple of Mithras isn't exactly a secret since it's clearly signposted from the road and there's a car park especially for visitors to make the short walk (less than five minutes) if they're not on the Hadrian's Wall Path. However, it's also not mentioned in the same breath as some of the Wall's better-known attractions, and that makes it a little bit special.
And coming across it encased in ice and having it all to ourselves for just a short period of time made it feel even more special. I can't recommend visiting enough if you're looking for a winter walk this festive period.
The altars that stand in the Temple of Mithras are replicas, but if you want to see the original altars there is a full-sized reconstruction of the temple's interior at the Great North Museum: Hancock in Newcastle City Centre. To find out more about Brocolitia Roman Temple, visit the Northumberland National Park website.
Have you visited the Temple of Mithras on Hadrian's Wall? Let us know!
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