Hadrian 's wall - wikipedia Hadrian 's wall Location of Hadrian 's Wall and the Antonine Wall Part of a series on the Military of ancient Rome 753 BC -- AD 476 Structural history Army Unit types and ranks Decorations and punishments Legions Auxilia Generals Navy Fleets Admirals Campaign history Wars and battles Technological history Military engineering Castra Siege engines Triumphal arches Roads Political history Strategy and tactics Infantry tactics Frontiers and fortifications Limes Limes Britannicus Antonine Wall Hadrian 's Wall Saxon Shore Limes Germanicus Alb Limes Lauter Valley Limes Lower Germanic Limes Main Limes Neckar - Odenwald Limes Upper Germanic - Rhaetian Limes Wetterau Limes Danube -- Iller -- Rhine Limes Norican Limes Claustra Alpium Iuliarum Pannonian Limes Limes Alutanus Limes Moesiae Trajan 's Wall Anastasian Wall Limes Sarmatiae Limes Arabicus Limes Tripolitanus Limes Mauretaniae Military of ancient Rome portal Hadrian 's Wall ( Latin : Vallum Aelium ), also called the Roman Wall, Picts ' Wall, or Vallum Hadriani in Latin, was a defensive fortification in the Roman province of Britannia, begun in AD 122 in the reign of the emperor Hadrian. It ran from the banks of the River Tyne near the North Sea to the Solway Firth on the Irish Sea, and was the northern limit of the Roman Empire, immediately north of which were the lands of the northern Ancient Britons, including the Picts. It had a stone base and a stone wall. There were milecastles with two turrets in between. There was a fort about every five Roman miles. From north to south, the wall comprised a ditch, wall, military way and vallum, another ditch with adjoining mounds. It is thought the milecastles were staffed with static garrisons, whereas the forts had fighting garrisons of infantry and cavalry. In addition to the wall 's defensive military role, its gates may have been customs posts. A significant portion of the wall still stands and can be followed on foot along the adjoining Hadrian 's Wall Path. The largest Roman artifact anywhere, it runs a total of 73 miles ( 117.5 kilometres ) in northern England. Regarded as a British cultural icon, Hadrian 's Wall is one of Britain 's major ancient tourist attractions. It was designated as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. In comparison, the Antonine wall, thought by some to be based on Hadrian 's wall ( the Gillam hypothesis ), was not declared a World Heritage site until 2008. It is a common misconception that Hadrian 's Wall marks the boundary between England and Scotland. In fact Hadrian 's Wall lies entirely within England and has never formed the Anglo - Scottish border. While it is less than 0.6 miles ( 1.0 km ) south of the border with Scotland in the west at Bowness - on - Solway, in the east it is as much as 68 miles ( 109 km ) away. Contents 1 Dimensions 2 Route 3 Purpose of construction 4 Construction 4.1 `` Broad Wall '' and `` Narrow Wall '' 4.2 Turf wall 4.3 Standards 5 Garrison 6 After Hadrian 6.1 Preservation by John Clayton 6.2 World Heritage Site 6.3 Tourism 6.4 Hadrian 's Wall Path 7 Roman - period names 7.1 Forts 8 In popular culture 9 See also 10 References 11 Sources 12 External links Dimensions Hadrian 's Wall was 80 Roman miles or 117.5 km ( 73.0 mi ) long ; its width and height varied according to the construction materials available nearby. East of the River Irthing, the wall was made from squared stone and measured 3 metres ( 10 feet ) wide and 5 to 6 metres ( 16 to 20 feet ) high, while west of the river the wall was originally made from turf and measured 6 metres ( 20 feet ) wide and 3.5 metres ( 11 feet ) high ; it was later rebuilt in stone. These dimensions do not include the wall 's ditches, berms and forts. The central section measured eight Roman feet wide ( 7.8 ft or 2.4 m ) on a 3 m ( 10 ft ) base. Some parts of this section of the wall survive to a height of 3 m ( 10 ft ). Immediately south of the wall, a large ditch was dug, with adjoining parallel mounds, one on either side. This is known today as the Vallum, even though the word Vallum in Latin is the origin of the English word wall, and does not refer to a ditch. In many places -- for example Limestone Corner -- the Vallum is better preserved than the wall, which has been robbed of much of its stone. Route Route of Hadrian 's Wall Sections of Hadrian 's Wall remain along the route, though much has been dismantled over the years to use the stones for various nearby construction projects. Hadrian 's Wall extended west from Segedunum at Wallsend on the River Tyne, via Carlisle and Kirkandrews - on - Eden, to the shore of the Solway Firth, ending a short but unknown distance west of the village of Bowness - on - Solway. The A69 and B6318 roads follow the course of the wall from Newcastle upon Tyne to Carlisle, then along the northern coast of Cumbria ( south shore of the Solway Firth ). Although the curtain wall ends near Bowness - on - Solway, this does not mark the end of the line of defensive structures. The system of milecastles and turrets is known to have continued along the Cumbria coast as far as Risehow, south of Maryport. For classification purposes, the milecastles west of Bowness - on - Solway are referred to as Milefortlets. Purpose of construction Hadrian 's Wall facing east towards Crag Lough Hadrian 's Wall was probably planned before Hadrian 's visit to Britain in AD 122. According to restored sandstone fragments found in Jarrow which date from 118 or 119, it was Hadrian 's wish to keep `` intact the empire '', which had been imposed on him via `` divine instruction ''. Although Hadrian 's biographer wrote `` ( Hadrian ) was the first to build a wall 80 miles long to separate the Romans from the barbarians '', reasons for the construction of the wall vary, and no recording of an exact explanation survives. Theories have been presented by historians, mostly of an expression of Roman power and Hadrian 's policy of defence before expansion. On his accession to the throne in 117, there was unrest and rebellion in Roman Britain and from the peoples of various conquered lands across the Empire, including Egypt, Judea, Libya and Mauritania. These troubles may have influenced Hadrian 's plan to construct the wall as well as his construction of limites in other areas of the Empire, but to what extent is unknown. Scholars disagree over how much of a threat the inhabitants of northern Britain really presented and whether there was any economic advantage in defending and garrisoning a fixed line of defences like the Wall, rather than conquering and annexing what has become the Scottish Lowlands and defending the territory with a loose arrangement of forts. The limites of Rome were never expected to stop tribes from migrating or armies from invading, and while a frontier protected by a palisade or stone wall would help curb cattle - raiders and the incursions of other small groups, the economic viability of constructing and keeping guarded a wall 72 miles ( 116 km ) long along a sparsely populated border to stop small - scale raiding is dubious. Another possible explanation for the wall is the degree of control it would have provided over immigration, smuggling and customs. Limites did not strictly mark the boundaries of the empire : Roman power and influence often extended beyond the walls. People within and beyond the limites travelled through it each day when conducting business, and organised check - points like those offered by Hadrian 's Wall provided good opportunities for taxation. With watch towers only a short distance from gateways in the limites, patrolling legionaries could have kept track of entering and exiting natives and Roman citizens alike, charging customs dues and checking for smuggling. Another theory is of a simpler variety -- that Hadrian 's Wall was partly constructed to reflect the power of Rome and was used as a political point by Hadrian. Once its construction was finished, it is thought to have been covered in plaster and then whitewashed : its shining surface reflected the sunlight and was visible for miles around. Construction Construction started in AD 122 and was largely completed in six years. Construction started in the east, between milecastles four and seven, and proceeded westwards, with soldiers from all three of the occupying Roman legions participating in the work. The route chosen largely paralleled the nearby Stanegate road from Luguvalium ( Carlisle ) to Coria ( Corbridge ), upon which were situated a series of forts, including Vindolanda. The wall in its central and best - preserved section follows a hard, resistant igneous diabase rock escarpment, known as the Whin Sill. Roman fort and town at Corstopitum viewed along the Stanegate The initial plan called for a ditch and wall with 80 small gated milecastle fortlets, one placed every Roman mile, holding a few dozen troops each, and pairs of evenly spaced intermediate turrets used for observation and signalling. However, very few milecastles are actually sited at exact Roman mile divisions : they can be up to 200 yards east or west because of landscape features or to improve signalling to the Stanegate forts to the south. Local limestone was used in the construction, except for the section to the west of the River Irthing where turf was originally used instead, for unknown reasons ; it was later rebuilt in stone. Milecastles in this area were also built from timber and earth rather than stone, but turrets were always made from stone. The Broad Wall was initially built with a clay - bonded rubble core and mortared dressed rubble facing stones, but this seems to have made it vulnerable to collapse, and repair with a mortared core was sometimes necessary. The milecastles and turrets were of three different designs, depending on which Roman legion built them -- inscriptions of the Second, Sixth, and Twentieth Legions, show that all were involved in the construction. The turrets were about 493 metres ( 539 yards ) apart and measured 14.02 square metres ( 150.9 square feet ) internally. Construction was divided into lengths of about 5 miles ( 8.0 km ). One group of each legion would excavate the foundations and build the milecastles and turrets and then other cohorts would follow with the wall construction. The wall was finished in 128. `` Broad wall '' and `` Narrow wall '' This section does not cite any sources. Please help improve this section by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( May 2015 ) Vallum at Hadrian 's Wall near Milecastle 42 ( Cawfields ) Early in its construction, just after reaching the North Tyne, the width of the wall was narrowed to 2.5 m ( 8.2 ft ) or even less ( sometimes 1.8 metres ) ( the `` Narrow Wall '' ). However, Broad Wall foundations had already been laid as far as the River Irthing, where the Turf Wall began, demonstrating that construction worked from east to west. Many turrets and milecastles were optimistically provided with wider stub `` wing walls '' in preparation for joining to the Broad Wall, offering a handy reference for archaeologists trying to piece together the construction chronology. Within a few years it was decided to add a total of 14 to 17 ( sources disagree ) full - sized forts along the length of the wall, including Vercovicium ( Housesteads ) and Banna ( Birdoswald ), each holding between 500 and 1,000 auxiliary troops ( no legions were posted to the wall ). The eastern end of the wall was extended further east from Pons Aelius ( Newcastle ) to Segedunum ( Wallsend ) on the Tyne estuary. Some of the larger forts along the wall, such as Cilurnum ( Chesters ) and Vercovicium ( Housesteads ), were built on top of the footings of milecastles or turrets, showing the change of plan. An inscription mentioning early governor Aulus Platorius Nepos indicates that the change of plans took place early on. Also, some time during Hadrian 's reign ( before 138 ) the wall west of the Irthing was rebuilt in sandstone to about the same dimensions as the limestone section to the east. Cross section of the works After most of the forts had been added, the Vallum was built on the southern side. The wall was thus part of a defensive system which, from north to south, included : A row of forts built 5 to 10 mi ( 8.0 to 16.1 km ) north of the wall, used for scouting and intelligence ( e.g. Bewcastle Roman Fort ) a glacis and a deep ditch a berm with rows of pits holding entanglements the curtain wall a later military road ( the Military Way ) The Vallum. Part of Hadrian 's Wall from Housesteads showing the Knag Burn Gateway in the valley Turf wall From Milecastle 49 to the western terminus of the wall at Bowness - on - Solway, the curtain wall was originally constructed from turf, possibly due to the absence of limestone for the manufacture of mortar. Subsequently, the Turf Wall was demolished and replaced with a stone wall. This took place in two phases ; the first ( from the River Irthing to a point west of Milecastle 54 ), during the reign of Hadrian, and the second following the reoccupation of Hadrian 's Wall subsequent to the abandonment of the Antonine Wall ( though it has also been suggested that this second phase took place during the reign of Septimius Severus ). The line of the new stone wall follows the line of the turf wall, apart from the stretch between Milecastle 49 and Milecastle 51, where the line of the stone wall is slightly further to the north. In the stretch around Milecastle 50TW, it was built on a flat base with three to four courses of turf blocks. A basal layer of cobbles was used westwards from Milecastle 72 ( at Burgh - by - Sands ) and possibly at Milecastle 53. Where the underlying ground was boggy, wooden piles were used. At its base, the now - demolished turf wall was 6 metres ( 20 ft ) wide, and built in courses of turf blocks measuring 18 inches ( 46 cm ) long by 12 inches ( 30 cm ) deep by 6 inches ( 15 cm ) high, to a height estimated at around 3.66 metres ( 12.0 ft ). The north face is thought to have had a slope of 75 %, whereas the south face is thought to have started vertical above the foundation, quickly becoming much shallower. Standards Above the stone curtain wall 's foundations, one or more footing courses were laid. Offsets were introduced above these footing courses ( on both the north and south faces ), which reduced the wall 's width. Where the width of the curtain wall is stated, it is in reference to the width above the offset. Two standards of offset have been identified : Standard A, where the offset occurs above the first footing course, and Standard B, where the offset occurs after the third ( or sometimes fourth ) footing course. Garrison According to Sheppard Frere, the garrison reflected the political rather than military purpose of the wall. The wall provided the soldiers with an elevated platform from which they could safely observe movement of the local population. It had `` heavy provision of cavalry '' which could sally out from any of the milestone gates though as mentioned earlier, the garrison was neither expected nor trained to the level necessary to defend a city wall. Overall the fortifications appear to have required additional strengthening after the initial design and were stronger than their equivalent in Germany, probably reflecting local resentment. Frere believes that the milecastles, which would have needed 1000 -- 1500 men, were held by a patrolling garrison of Numeri, though he concedes that there are no inscriptions referring to Numeri in Britain at the time. Command headquarters was at Uxelodunum ( nowadays called Stanwix ) near Carlisle, where the Ala Petriana was based. A signalling system allowed communication in minutes between Stanwix and York. Further information on the garrisoning of the wall has been provided by the discovery of the Vindolanda tablets, such as the record of an inspection on 18 May between AD 92 and AD 97 where only 456 of the full quota of 756 Dutch and Belgian troops were present, the rest being sick or otherwise absent. After Hadrian Leahill 51B is a typical example of the many turrets built into the wall between the milecastles. In the years after Hadrian 's death in 138, the new emperor, Antoninus Pius, essentially abandoned the wall, leaving it occupied in a support role, and began building a new wall called the Antonine Wall, about 160 kilometres ( 100 mi ) north, in what later became known as the Scottish Lowlands, across the isthmus running west - south - west to east - north - east, sometimes referred to as the Central Belt or Central Lowlands. This turf wall ran 40 Roman miles, or about 37.8 mi ( 60.8 km ), and had significantly more forts than Hadrian 's Wall. Antoninus was unable to conquer the northern tribes, so when Marcus Aurelius became emperor, he abandoned the Antonine Wall and reoccupied Hadrian 's Wall as the main defensive barrier in 164. In 208 -- 211, the Emperor Septimius Severus again tried to conquer Caledonia and temporarily reoccupied the Antonine Wall. The campaign ended inconclusively and the Romans eventually withdrew to Hadrian 's Wall. Bede, following Gildas, wrote in ( AD 730 ) : ( the departing Romans ) thinking that it might be some help to the allies ( Britons ), whom they were forced to abandon, constructed a strong stone wall from sea to sea, in a straight line between the towns that had been there built for fear of the enemy, where Severus also had formerly built a rampart. -- Bede, Historia Ecclesiastica Book I Chapter 12 Bede obviously identified Gildas ' stone wall as Hadrian 's Wall ( actually built in the 120s ) and he would appear to have deduced that the ditch - and - mound barrier known as the Vallum ( just to the south of and contemporary with, Hadrian 's Wall ) was the rampart constructed by Severus. Many centuries would pass before just who built what became apparent. In the late 4th century, barbarian invasions, economic decline and military coups loosened the Empire 's hold on Britain. By 410, the estimated End of Roman rule in Britain, the Roman administration and its legions were gone and Britain was left to look to its own defences and government. Archaeologists have revealed that some parts of the wall remained occupied well into the 5th century. It has been suggested that some forts continued to be garrisoned by local Britons under the control of a Coel Hen figure and former dux. Hadrian 's Wall fell into ruin and over the centuries the stone was reused in other local buildings. Enough survived in the 8th century for spolia from Hadrian 's Wall to find their way into the construction of Jarrow Priory. Painting by William Bell Scott ; the face of the centurion is that of John Clayton ( Painting at Wallington Hall ) Hadrian 's Wall near Birdoswald Fort, with a man spraying weed - killer to reduce biological weathering to the stones The wall fascinated John Speed, who published a set of maps of England and Wales by county at the start of the 17th century. He described it as `` the Picts Wall '' ( or `` Pictes '' ; he uses both spellings ). A map of Newecastle ( sic ), drawn in 1610 by William Matthew, described it as `` Severus ' Wall '', mistakenly giving it the name ascribed by Bede to the Antonine Wall. The maps for Cumberland and Northumberland not only show the wall as a major feature, but are ornamented with drawings of Roman finds, together with, in the case of the Cumberland map, a cartouche in which he sets out a description of the wall itself. Preservation by John Clayton Much of the wall has now disappeared. Long sections of it were used for roadbuilding in the 18th century, especially by General Wade to build a military road ( most of which lies beneath the present day B6318 `` Military Road '' ) to move troops to crush the Jacobite insurrection. The preservation of much of what remains can be credited to John Clayton. He trained as a lawyer and became town clerk of Newcastle in the 1830s. He became enthusiastic about preserving the wall after a visit to Chesters. To prevent farmers taking stones from the wall, he began buying some of the land on which the wall stood. In 1834, he started purchasing property around Steel Rigg near Crag Lough. Eventually, he controlled land from Brunton to Cawfields. This stretch included the sites of Chesters, Carrawburgh, Housesteads, and Vindolanda. Clayton carried out excavation at the fort at Cilurnum and at Housesteads, and he excavated some milecastles. Clayton managed the farms he had acquired and succeeded in improving both the land and the livestock. His successful management produced a cash - flow, which could be invested in future restoration work. Workmen were employed to restore sections of the wall, generally up to a height of seven courses. The best example of the Clayton Wall is at Housesteads. After Clayton 's death, the estate passed to relatives and was soon lost at gambling. Eventually, the National Trust began acquiring the land on which the wall stands. At Wallington Hall, near Morpeth, there is a painting by William Bell Scott, which shows a centurion supervising the building of the wall. The centurion has been given the face of John Clayton. World Heritage Site Hadrian 's Wall was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, and in 2005 it became part of the transnational `` Frontiers of the Roman Empire '' World Heritage Site which also includes sites in Germany. Tourism Although Hadrian 's Wall was declared a World Heritage Site in 1987, it remains unguarded, enabling visitors to climb and stand on the wall, although this is not encouraged, as it could damage the historic structure. On 13 March 2010, a public event Illuminating Hadrian 's Wall took place, which saw the route of the wall lit with 500 beacons. On 31 August and 2 September 2012, there was a second illumination of the wall as a digital art installation called `` Connecting Light '', which was part of the London 2012 Festival. Hadrian 's wall Path Main article : Hadrian 's Wall Path In 2003, a National Trail footpath was opened that follows the line of the wall from Wallsend to Bowness - on - Solway. Because of the fragile landscape, walkers are asked to follow the path only in summer. Roman - period names This section possibly contains original research. Please improve it by verifying the claims made and adding inline citations. Statements consisting only of original research should be removed. ( August 2014 ) The remains of Castle Nick, Milecastle 39, near Steel Rigg, between Housesteads and the Once Brewed Visitor Centre for the Northumberland National Park The remains of the fort at Housesteads The Staffordshire Moorlands Pan, which may provide the ancient name of Hadrian 's Wall Poltross Burn, Milecastle 48 Sycamore Gap ( the `` Robin Hood Tree '' ) A volunteer stands inside Leahill Turret 51B The only ancient source for its provenance is the Augustan History. No sources survive to confirm what the wall was called in antiquity, and no historical literary source gives it a name. However, the discovery of the Staffordshire Moorlands Pan in Staffordshire in 2003 has provided a clue. This small enamelled bronze Roman trulla ( ladle ), dating to the 2nd century AD, is inscribed with a series of names of Roman forts along the western sector of the wall, together with a personal name and phrase : MAIS COGGABATA VXELODVNVM CAMBOGLANNA RIGORE VALI AELI DRACONIS. Bowness ( MAIS ) is followed by Drumburgh - by - Sands ( COGGABATA ), until now known only as CONGAVATA from the late Roman document, the Notitia Dignitatum. Next comes Stanwix ( VXELODVNVM ), then Castlesteads ( CAMBOGLANNA ). These are the four of the westernmost forts on Hadrian 's Wall, but excluding Aballava. RIGORE is the ablative singular form of the Latin word rigor. This can mean several things, but one of its lesser - known meanings is `` straight line '', `` course '', or `` direction ''. This sense was used by Roman surveyors and appears on several inscriptions to indicate a line between places. So the meaning could be `` according to the course ''. There is no known word vali, but vallum was the Latin word for an earthen wall, rampart, or fortification. In modern English usage vallum is applied to the ditch and adjoining mounds dug by the Roman army just south of the wall, but to the Romans a vallum was a wall and not a ditch ( it is the source of the English word ' wall ' ). The genitive singular form of vallum is valli, so one of the most likely meanings is VAL ( L ) I, `` of the Wall ''. Omitting one of a pair of double consonants is common on Roman inscriptions ; moreover, an error in the transcription of a written note could be the reason : another similar bronze vessel, known as the Rudge Cup ( found in Wiltshire in the 18th century ) has VN missing from the name VXELODVNVM, for example, although the letters appear on the Staffordshire Moorlands Pan. The Rudge Cup only bears fort names. The name AELI was Hadrian 's nomen, his main family name, the gens Aelia. The Roman bridge and fort at Newcastle upon Tyne was called Pons Aelius. DRACONIS can be translated as `` ( by the hand -- or property ) of Draco ''. It was normal for Roman manufacturers to give their names in the genitive ( `` of '' ), and `` by the hand '' would be understood. The form is common, for example, on Samian ware. The translation, therefore, could be : Mais, Coggabata, Uxelodunum, Camboglanna, according to the line of Aelian wall. ( By the hand or The property ) of Draco. Another possibility is that the individual 's name was Aelius Draco, which would only leave us with an unspecified vallum, `` wall ''. Forts The Latin and Romano - Celtic names of all of the Hadrian 's Wall forts are known, from the Notitia Dignitatum and other evidence such as inscriptions : Segedunum ( Wallsend ) Pons Aelius ( Newcastle upon Tyne ) Condercum ( Benwell Hill ) Vindobala ( Rudchester ) Hunnum ( Halton Chesters ) Cilurnum ( Chesters aka Walwick Chesters ) Procolita ( Carrowburgh ) Vercovicium ( Housesteads ) Aesica ( Great Chesters ) Magnis ( Carvoran ) Banna ( Birdoswald ) Camboglanna ( Castlesteads ) Uxelodunum ( Stanwix. Also known as Petriana ) Aballava ( Burgh - by - Sands ) Coggabata ( Drumburgh ) Mais ( Bowness - on - Solway ) Turrets on the wall include : Leahill Turret Outpost forts beyond the wall include : Habitancum ( Risingham ) Bremenium ( High Rochester ) Fanum Cocidi ( Bewcastle ) ( north of Birdoswald ) Ad Fines ( Chew Green ) Supply forts behind the wall include : Alauna ( Maryport ) Arbeia ( South Shields ) Coria ( Corbridge ) Vindolanda ( Little Chesters or Chesterholm ) Vindomora ( Ebchester ) In popular culture This section needs additional citations for verification. Please help improve this article by adding citations to reliable sources. Unsourced material may be challenged and removed. ( December 2015 ) Books Nobel Prize -- winning English author Rudyard Kipling contributed to the popular image of the `` Great Pict Wall '' in his short stories about Parnesius, a Roman legionary who defended the Wall against the Picts. These stories are a part of the Puck of Pook 's Hill cycle, published in 1906. American author George R.R. Martin has acknowledged that Hadrian 's Wall was the inspiration for The Wall in his best - selling series A Song of Ice and Fire, dramatised in the fantasy TV series Game of Thrones, which is also in the north of its country and stretches from coast to coast. In MJ Trow 's fictional Britannia series, Hadrian 's Wall is the central location and portrays Coel Hen and Padarn Beisrudd as limitanei. Hadrian 's Wall, by Adrian Goldsworthy, publ April 2018 Movies The 1991 American romantic action adventure film Robin Hood : Prince of Thieves in the location of Sycamore gap. The wall has also been featured in recent films such as Centurion and The Eagle, and was a major focal point of the 2004 King Arthur in which one of the primary gates is opened for the first time since the wall 's construction to allow Arthur and his knights passage into the north for their quest. The climactic Battle of Badon between the Britons led by Arthur and his knights, and the Saxons led by Cerdic and his son Cynric took place in the film just inside the wall. The 2007 action adventure film The Last Legion featured Hadrian 's wall as the place where the final battle takes place. The 2008 science fiction film Doomsday featured Hadrian 's wall rebuilt to quarantine Scotland because of a deadly virus. The 2015 film `` Dragonheart 3 : The Sorcerer 's Curse '' features Hadrian 's wall as a main thematic element. Music The opening track from Maxim 's first solo effort Hell 's Kitchen is named `` Hadrian 's Wall ''. The second track on the English - American hard rock band Black Country Communion second album is called `` The Battle for Hadrian 's Wall ''. The lyrics reference outposts separated by a mile each, such as `` We sit in waiting every mile on Hadrian 's Wall ''. Television The final episode in the Blackadder series is the television film Blackadder : Back & Forth. In this episode, Blackadder and Baldrick attempt to collect significant historical souvenirs in order to win a bet. During their adventures, they take note at their own ancestors, one of which is a Roman defender of Hadrian 's Wall who makes slight remarks of the wall 's unimpressive ( modern ) height. Billy Connolly World tour of England Ireland and Wales episode 4, Billy left Ireland and came to Northumberland on Roman road and he 's on Hadrian 's wall on the rainy day before Billy came to Newcastle 2002. On the NBC show `` Grimm, '' in the 2015 - 2016 season, the protagonist group that helps to fight the antagonist is called `` H.W. '' short for `` Hadrian 's Wall. '' Barbarians and wolves attack Hadrian 's Wall. Scene from the iOS game Vindac, Version 1.0. Video Game Vindac is a Latin Language preposition game set at Hadrian 's Wall. Gamers cast Latin preposition spells by gesture at barbaric foes. Poetry British poet W.H. Auden wrote a script for a BBC radio documentary called Hadrian 's Wall, which was broadcast on BBC 's north - eastern Regional Programme in 1937. Auden later published a poem from the script, `` Roman Wall Blues, '' in his book Another Time. The poem is a brief monologue spoken in the voice of a lonely Roman soldier stationed at the wall. Other media Hadrian 's Wall is the name of a Barrier ICE card in the card game Android : Netrunner. See also In 2010, to commemorate the 1600th anniversary of the end of Roman rule in Britain, a series of 500 beacons were lit along the length of the wall Danevirke English Heritage properties Gask Ridge Hadrianic Society History of Northumberland History of Scotland Limes List of walls Offa 's Dyke Scots ' Dike Via Hadriana References Jump up ^ `` obituary : Brian Dobson ''. Daily Telegraph. 21 September 2012. Retrieved 22 September 2012. Jump up ^ `` Hadrian 's Wall : A horde of ancient treasures make for a compelling new Cumbrian exhibition ''. 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Jump up ^ Woolliscroft, D., 1989, `` Signalling and the design of Hadrian 's Wall '', Archaeologia Aeliana 5th Series, Vol. XVII, pp. 5 -- 20. ^ Jump up to : Breeze, David J ( 1934 ). Handbook to the Roman Wall ( 14th -- November 2006 ed. ). Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne. pp. 55 -- 62. ISBN 0 - 901082 - 65 - 1. Jump up ^ Simpson, FG ; Richmond, IA ; St Joseph, K ( 1935 ), `` Report of the Cumberland Excavation Committee for 1934 '', Transactions of the Cumberland & Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society, new series, Titus Wilson & Son, 35 : 220 -- 32 Jump up ^ Simpson, FG ; MacIntyre, J ( 1933 ), `` Report of the Cumberland Excavation Committee for 1932 '', Transactions of the Cumberland & Westmorland Antiquarian & Archaeological Society, new series, Titus Wilson & Son, 33 : 262 -- 70 Jump up ^ Breeze, David J. ( 1934 ), Handbook to the Roman Wall ( 14th -- November 2006 ed. ), Society of Antiquaries of Newcastle upon Tyne, p. 53, ISBN 0 - 901082 - 65 - 1 Jump up ^ Sheppard Frere ( 1980 ). Britannia. Routlege & Kegan Paul. pp. 158 -- 160. ISBN 0 - 7100 - 8916 - 3. Jump up ^ Simon Schama ( 2000 ). A History of Britain. BBC Worldwide Ltd. pp. 34 -- 37. ISBN 0 - 563 - 38497 - 2. Jump up ^ `` Wall of Severus ''. Dot-domesday.me.uk. Retrieved 2016 - 04 - 12. Jump up ^ `` Hadrian 's Wall ''. English-lakes.com. Retrieved 2016 - 04 - 12. Jump up ^ UNESCO World Heritage Centre. `` Frontiers of the Roman Empire ''. Retrieved 26 November 2007. Jump up ^ `` Hadrian 's Wall Path ''. National Trails. Retrieved 26 November 2007. Jump up ^ `` Every Footstep Counts -- The Trail 's Country Code ''. Hadrians Wall Path National Trail. Retrieved 26 November 2007. Jump up ^ Sycamore Gap, a section of the wall between two crests just east of Milecastle 39, is locally known as the `` Robin Hood Tree '' for its use in the 1991 film Robin Hood : Prince of Thieves ( 1991 ). Jump up ^ `` Charlton T. Lewis, Charles Short, A Latin Dictionary, vallum ''. Perseus.tufts.edu. Retrieved 2016 - 04 - 12. ^ Jump up to : Note the suffix `` chester '', reflecting the presence of a Roman castra. Jump up ^ `` GENUKI : The National Gazetteer of Great Britain and Ireland ( 1868 ) -- Northumberland ''. Genuki.bpears.org.uk. 3 August 2010. Archived from the original on 5 May 2013. Retrieved 26 March 2013. Jump up ^ Martin, George R.R. `` A Conversation With George R.R. Martin ''. The SF Site. Retrieved 10 September 2011. Jump up ^ `` MAXIM : HELLS KITCHEN - the album, scans and info ''. Nekozine.co.uk. Retrieved 2016 - 04 - 12. Jump up ^ `` Hadrian 's Wall - Core - Android : Netrunner LCG - Android : Netrunner Card Spoilers ''. Cardgamedb.com. Retrieved 2016 - 04 - 12. Sources Burton, Anthony Hadrian 's Wall Path. 2004 Aurum Press Ltd. ISBN 1 - 85410 - 893 - X. Davies, Hunter A Walk along the Wall, 1974 Wiedenfield and Nicolson : London ISBN 0 297 76710 0. de la Bédoyère, Guy. Hadrian 's Wall : A History and Guide. Stroud : Tempus, 1998. ISBN 0 - 7524 - 1407 - 0. England 's Roman Frontier : Discovering Carlisle and Hadrian 's Wall Country. Hadrian 's Wall Heritage Ltd and Carlisle Tourism Partnership. 2010. Forde - Johnston, James L. Hadrian 's Wall. London : Michael Joseph, 1978. ISBN 0 - 7181 - 1652 - 6. Hadrian 's Wall Path ( map ). Harvey, 12 -- 22 Main Street, Doune, Perthshire FK16 6BJ. harveymaps.co.uk Speed Maps -- A set of Speed 's maps were issued bound in a single volume in 1988 in association with the British Library and with an introduction by Nigel Nicolson as ' The Counties of Britain A Tudor Atlas by John Speed '. Moffat, Alistair, The Wall. 2008 Birlinn Limited Press. ISBN 1 - 84158 - 675 - 7. Tomlin, R.S.O., `` Inscriptions '' in Britannia ( 2004 ), vol. xxxv, pp. 344 -- 5 ( the Staffordshire Moorlands cup naming the Wall ). Wilson, Roger J.A., A Guide to the Roman Remains in Britain. London : Constable & Company, 1980 ; ISBN 0 - 09 - 463260 - X. Charlotte Higgins ( 2014 ). Under Another Sky Chapter 7. London, UK : Vintage. ISBN 978 - 0 - 099552 - 09 - 3. External links Wikimedia Commons has media related to Hadrian 's Wall. Wikivoyage has a travel guide for Hadrian 's Wall. In Our Time Radio series with Greg Woolf, Professor of Ancient History at the University of St Andrews, David Breeze, Former Chief Inspector of Ancient Monuments for Scotland and Visiting Professor of Archaeology at the University of Durham and Lindsay Allason - Jones, Former Reader in Roman Material Culture at the University of Newcastle Hadrian 's Wall on the Official Northumberland Visitor website Hadrian 's Wall Discussion Forum UNESCO Frontiers of the Roman Empire News on the Wall path English Lakes article iRomans -- website with interactive map of Cumbrian section of Hadrian Wall Connecting Light -- art installation Structures of Hadrian 's Wall Milecastles 0 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 28 29 30 31 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48 49 50 50TW 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 60 61 62 63 64 65 66 67 68 69 70 71 72 73 74 75 76 77 78 79 80 Milefortlets MF 1 MF 2 MF 3 MF 4 MF 5 MF 9 MF 10 MF 11 MF 12 MF 13 MF 14 MF 15 MF 16 MF 17 MF 18 MF 19 MF 20 MF 21 MF 22 MF 23 MF 24 MF 25 Other structures on Hadrian 's Wall Portgate Planetrees ( Hadrian 's Wall section ) Chesters Bridge Limestone Corner Knag Burn Gateway Peel Gap Tower Willowford Bridge Pike Hill Signal Tower Regular and linear features Vallum Military Way Hadrian 's Wall Path Turrets Forts of Hadrian 's Wall Wall Forts ( East to West ) Segedunum Pons Aelius Condercum Vindobala Onnum Cilurnum Procolita Vercovicium Aesica Magnae Banna Camboglanna Uxelodunum Aballava Coggabata Maia Outpost Forts Habitancum Fanum Cocidi Castra Exploratorum Blatobulgium Stanegate Forts Corstopitum Newbrough Vindolanda Haltwhistle Burn Magnis Throp Nether Denton Castle Hill Boothby Brampton Old Church Luguvalium Supply Forts Alauna Arbeia Coria Vindomora Cumbrian Coast Forts ( North to South ) Bibra Alauna Burrow Walls Gabrosentum World Heritage Sites in the United Kingdom England Bath Blenheim Palace Canterbury Cathedral, St. Augustine 's Abbey and St. Martin 's Church Cornwall and West Devon Mining Landscape Derwent Valley Mills Durham Castle and Cathedral Frontiers of the Roman Empire Hadrian 's Wall Ironbridge Gorge Jurassic Coast Kew Royal Botanic Gardens Lake District Liverpool Maritime Mercantile City Maritime Greenwich Saltaire Stonehenge, Avebury and Associated Sites Studley Royal Park and Fountains Abbey Tower of London Westminster Palace, Westminster Abbey and St. Margaret 's Church Scotland Edinburgh Old Town and New Town Forth Bridge Frontiers of the Roman Empire Antonine Wall Heart of Neolithic Orkney New Lanark St. Kilda Wales Blaenavon Industrial Landscape Castles and Town Walls of King Edward I in Gwynedd Pontcysyllte Aqueduct Northern Ireland Giant 's Causeway British Overseas Territories Gorham 's Cave Complex Gough Island Inaccessible Island Henderson Island Town of St. George and Related Fortifications English Heritage sites in Cumbria Dating from Neolithic / Bronze Age Castlerigg Stone Circle King Arthur 's Round Table Mayburgh Henge Dating from Roman Britain Ambleside Roman Fort Hadrian 's Wall ( including Banks East Turret, Birdoswald Roman Fort, Brougham Roman fort, Hare Hill, Harrows Scar Milecastle and Wall, King 's Stables ( Milecastle 48 ), Leahill Turret and Piper Sike Turret, Pike Hill Signal Tower, Willowford Wall Turrets and Bridge ) Hardknott Roman Fort Ravenglass Roman Bath House Dating from the Middle Ages Bow Bridge Brough Castle Brougham Castle Carlisle Castle Clifton Hall Furness Abbey Lanercost Priory Penrith Castle Piel Castle Shap Abbey Wetheral Priory Gatehouse Dating from the 17th Century onwards Countess Pillar Stott Park Bobbin Mill Coordinates : 55 ° 01 ′ 27 '' N 2 ° 17 ′ 33 '' W ﻿ / ﻿ 55.02417 ° N 2.29250 ° W ﻿ / 55.02417 ; - 2.29250 Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Hadrian%27s_Wall&oldid=845614360 '' Categories : Hadrian 's Wall 122 establishments 128 establishments 120s establishments in the Roman Empire 2nd - century establishments in Roman Britain 2nd - century fortifications Ancient Roman buildings and structures in Britain Anglo - Scottish border Archaeological sites in Cumbria Archaeological sites in Northumberland Archaeological sites in Tyne and Wear Border barriers Buildings and structures completed in the 2nd century Buildings and structures in Cumbria Buildings and structures in Northumberland Buildings and structures in Tyne and Wear English Heritage sites in Cumbria English Heritage sites in Northumberland English Heritage sites in Tyne and Wear Fortification lines Hadrianic building projects Military history of Cumbria Military history of Northumberland Military history of Tyne and Wear Nerva -- Antonine dynasty Northern England Roman fortifications in England Roman frontiers Roman Limes Roman limes in Britannia Roman sites in Cumbria Roman sites in Northumberland Roman walls in England Ruins in Cumbria Ruins in Northumberland Tourist attractions in Cumbria Tourist attractions in Northumberland Tourist attractions in Tyne and Wear World Heritage Sites in England Hidden categories : CS1 maint : Extra text : editors list Use dmy dates from September 2016 Use British English from August 2017 Articles containing Latin - language text All articles with unsourced statements Articles with unsourced statements from October 2014 Articles with unsourced statements from April 2015 Articles needing additional references from May 2015 All articles needing additional references All articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases Articles with specifically marked weasel - worded phrases from May 2015 Articles that may contain original research from August 2014 All articles that may contain original research Articles needing additional references from December 2015 Articles with unsourced statements from November 2013 Pages using div col without cols and colwidth parameters Coordinates on Wikidata Talk Contents About Wikipedia Wikivoyage Aragonés Asturianu Беларуская Български Boarisch Bosanski Brezhoneg Català Čeština Cymraeg Dansk Deutsch Ελληνικά Español Esperanto Euskara فارسی Français Frysk Gaeilge Galego 한국어 Հայերեն Hrvatski Bahasa Indonesia Íslenska Italiano עברית ქართული Latina Latviešu Lietuvių Magyar മലയാളം მარგალური Bahasa Melayu Nederlands Nedersaksies 日本 語 Norsk Norsk nynorsk Occitan پنجابی Polski Português Română Русский Scots Sicilianu Simple English Slovenčina Slovenščina Српски / srpski Srpskohrvatski / српскохрватски Suomi Svenska தமிழ் Татарча / tatarça ไทย Türkçe Українська Zazaki 中文 55 more Edit links This page was last edited on 12 June 2018, at 23 : 58. 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Question: how far is hadrian's wall from the scottish border
Answer: less than 0.6 miles (1.0 km) south of the border with Scotland in the west at Bowness-on-Solway, in the east it is as much as 68 miles (109 km) away