Hadrian's Wall

History

Construction began in AD 122 under Emperor Hadrian to mark and defend the northern edge of Roman Britain, and took around six years to complete using legionary soldiers as labour. The wall was garrisoned for close to three centuries before Roman forces withdrew from Britain in the early 5th century, after which much of its stone was taken for local farms and buildings. Sections near Housesteads and Vindolanda survive because they lay far from later settlements that would otherwise have quarried them away.

Architecture

The wall was built mainly of stone in its eastern and central sections and originally turf in the west, punctuated by milecastles every Roman mile and turrets between them, with larger forts such as Housesteads and Chesters added to house garrisons.

Worth knowing

Hadrian's Wall forms part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire UNESCO World Heritage Site, a status it has held since 1987 alongside sites in Germany. Excavations at nearby Vindolanda have produced significant Roman artefacts and documents from the Roman occupation.