Hadrian's Wall

The fortification extends 73 miles (117 kilometers) through northern England, from the North Sea coast to the Irish Sea, incorporating numerous forts and watchtowers along its route. The stone barrier originally reached about 15 feet (4.5 meters) tall and 10 feet (3 meters) wide, flanked by a parallel ditch to the north and a vallum with twin earthwork banks to the south that marked the military zone.

Emperor Hadrian ordered construction of this defensive barrier in 122 CE to establish the northern frontier of Roman Britain, with building taking about six years and involving three legions. Emperor Antoninus Pius moved the frontier north to the Antonine Wall in Scotland in 142 CE, but this fortification was reactivated after 160 CE and remained garrisoned until the early fifth century.

Communities grew on both sides of the fortification, where merchants and service providers traded with garrison troops, creating multicultural settlements. Many villages and farms across the region still use stone taken from the Roman structure, visible in barns, stables, and church walls today.

The National Trail follows the complete length of the fortification, crossing through Northumberland National Park and rural English countryside. The most intact sections lie between Chollerford and Birdoswald, where several museums display artifacts and offer interpretation centers, while public transport connects major sites during summer months, though a car proves more practical for remote sections.

The fort of Vindolanda near the fortification preserves wooden writing tablets with Latin text, including personal letters and military documents from Roman soldiers. One tablet contains the oldest handwritten reference to London, while another shows a birthday invitation from one officer's wife to another, conserved by oxygen-poor soil that protected organic material.

Location: Northumberland

Location: Cumbria

Inception: 122

Creator: Hadrian

Height: 6 m

Width: 6 m

Part of: Limes Britannicus, borders of the Roman Empire

Website: https://english-heritage.org.uk/visit/places/hadrians-wall

GPS coordinates: 55.02417,-2.29250

Latest update: December 2, 2025 21:22