ol anda ▁table ts , ▁a ▁set ▁of ▁wooden ▁leaf - table ts ▁that ▁were , ▁at ▁the ▁time ▁of ▁their ▁discovery , ▁the ▁oldest ▁surv iving ▁hand written ▁documents ▁in ▁Britain . ▁ ▁Early ▁accounts ▁The ▁first ▁post - R oman ▁record ▁of ▁the ▁ru ins ▁at ▁V ind ol anda ▁was ▁made ▁by ▁the ▁anti qu arian ▁William ▁Cam den , ▁in ▁his ▁Britann ia ▁( 1 5 8 6 ). ▁ ▁Occ as ional ▁trav ellers ▁reached ▁the ▁site ▁over ▁the ▁next ▁two ▁hundred ▁years , ▁and ▁the ▁accounts ▁they ▁left ▁pre date ▁much ▁of ▁the ▁stone - ste aling ▁that ▁has ▁dam aged ▁the ▁site . ▁ ▁The ▁military ▁bath - house ▁was ▁still ▁partly ▁roof ed ▁when ▁Christopher ▁Hunter ▁visited ▁the ▁site ▁in ▁ 1 7 0 2 . ▁In ▁about ▁ 1 7 1 5 ▁an ▁exc ise ▁officer ▁named ▁John ▁War bur ton ▁found ▁an ▁alt ar ▁there , ▁which ▁he ▁removed . ▁ ▁In ▁ 1 8 1 4 ▁the ▁first ▁real ▁arch ae ological ▁work ▁was ▁begun , ▁by ▁the ▁Rev . ▁Anthony ▁Hed ley . ▁ ▁Hed ley ▁died ▁in ▁ 1 8 3 5 , ▁before ▁writing ▁up ▁his ▁discover ies . ▁▁ ▁Little ▁more ▁was ▁done ▁for ▁a ▁long ▁time , ▁although ▁in ▁ 1 9 1 4 ▁a ▁work man ▁found ▁another ▁alt ar ▁at ▁the ▁site , ▁set ▁up ▁by ▁the ▁civ ili ans ▁living ▁at ▁the ▁fort ▁in ▁honour ▁of ▁the ▁Div ine ▁House ▁and ▁V ul can