A MAJOR route used by the majority of visitors to one of Tynedale’s top heritage attractions was shut off without warning on Monday.

Staff at the Vindolanda Trust say a C-road which gives access to the Roman fort and museum, part of the Hadrian’s Wall World Heritage site, from the busy Military Road, was suddenly closed.

And visitors faced the prospect of a lengthy diversion to access the site at the start of the busy Easter holidays.

Signs suggesting the route would be inaccessible appeared out of the blue.

And work ground to a halt as abruptly as it began on Monday afternoon when a 52-seater coach carrying visitors from France attempted to negotiate the road.

“We are deeply disappointed that no one had the decency to alert us of this road closure,” said Dr Andrew Birley, chief executive of the trust.

“Easter is one of the busiest times of our visitor season.

“The international excavation programme has just started along with the major Wall-wide Hadrian’s Cavalry exhibition, which we are part of.”

Concerned about disruption caused by ongoing work at the nearby Sill national landscape discovery centre, the trust had also written directly to the council’s highways department on March 25, specifically to ask what future disruption may be in store.

The council claimed signs notifying motorists about the planned work had been in place for a week, but the trust said no such warning was given to it directly.

“I understand the council sub-contracts the placement of the signs so we have asked it to investigate this because there was no advanced warning,” explained Sonya Galloway, communications manager at the trust.

“With the notices no longer published in the Hexham Courant we could not pick it up this way ourselves.”

Notification of the road closure was published in the Northumberland Gazette , but not in the Courant , as part of a controversial trial introduced without consultation by Northumberland County Council in December.

The statutory notice, which legislation dictates should be published in a local newspaper circulating in the area of the land or building in question, described the closure of the C307 Park Lane to Twice Brewed at Bardon Mill for up to 10 days to allow for repair work to a damaged culvert.

However, a county council spokesman said the work was more likely to take just four days.

“During any roadworks we always seek to ensure drivers are aware in advance,” he said.

“There are four routes into Vindolanda and only one route in was closed.

“Measures were also in place to allow coaches to continue to be able to access the site.”

The road was re-opened to traffic on Wednesday morning.