Hadrian's Wall Hadrian's Wall by Andrew Mercer Hadrian's Wall at Cawfield Hadrians Wall is a world heritage site in Northern England. The statistics and logistics are impressive. This massive Roman civil engineering project was begun approximately 1900 years ago. It is built of stone and wide enough for centurions to march three abreast along most of its length. The wall cuts Northern Britain in half just south of the current Scottish Border. It is over 55 miles in length, from the Irish Sea; west of Carlisle to the mouth of the River Tyne on the east coast. At regular intervals along its length are large fortifications like Vindolanda, capable of accommodating thousands of fighters, supported from bases reaching hundreds of miles south into England. The Wall is a remarkable defensive fortification even by modern standards but it also a physical testament to the severe problems the Romans had subduing and defending their northern British frontier over the 300 hundred years of the rule. I still find it incredible that almost 2000 years ago, a military machine based on a small city state in what is now Italy conquered much of the known world, then marched out of sunny Italy, up through France.

After crossing the English channel they fought their way a further 400 hundred miles north into the heart of chilly Scotland. Conventional wisdom (perhaps influenced by the historical conflicts between England and Scotland) suggests that this resistance originated north of the Wall in what is now Scotland. But a second scenario is possible. Roman contemporary commentators inform us that in 55 B.C. after conquering the Gaul's in France, an ambitious Roman military commander and prominent member of the senate in Rome, Julius Caesar, brought an expeditionary force across the English channel to Kent to probe the defences of Britain. A few months after arriving the mighty Caesar withdrew with his legions. Roman commentators report this as a planned withdrawal but it is possible that Julius Caesar was driven out. It was over a hundred years later in 64 A.D. that Roman legions led by Brutus once again crossed the Channel. This time they had secured alliances in advance. Across Europe, the Romans had exploited historical rivalries between Celtic tribal peoples, offering alliances with one tribe in dispute with another, before inevitably subjugating both. Prior to this second landing, Roman emissaries had travelled 200 hundred miles north and secured an alliance with the Briganti tribe of northern England and southern Scotland.

This suggests that the Brigantes were pre-eminent among the tribes of Britain. They were based in a large territory bounded to the south by Chester and south Yorkshire and extending as far north as the Clyde-Forth estuaries. It seems a curious alliance, if you were planning to land an army in the south-east of England surely you would look for a less distant and more easily accessible ally. The strong possibility exists that the Brigantes of northern England and southern Scotland were traditional rivals of the southern tribes. But it is also possible that the Brigantes were the dominant tribe of Britain, who mistakenly felt they could enter into an alliance with the Romans to carve up Briton. Unhindered by counter attacks from the north, the Romans rapidly swept across southern England. The centres of Roman, "civitas", include many of our most ancient cities, London, Colchester, Bath, Winchester, Chichester, as far north as Lincoln and Chester. If this scenario is to be entertained then the position of the Wall dividing the Brigantes tribal territory in half, becomes crucial to our understanding. The most obvious modern comparison is the division of Berlin and Germany after WW2.

Although formalised many centuries later, the current border between Scotland and England is certainly based on this ancient Roman division. I will let Cornelius Tacitus a Roman senator writing in 102A.D. give us his account of the events that followed, which directly lead to the intervention of forces commanded by his father-in-law Cnaeus Julius Agricola, following the Roman conquest of southern Britain. "Following the Roman capture of Caracatacus, (the tribal leader of the Silures in south Wales) the foremost military thinker left in Britain was Venutius, a Brigantian. Whilst he was married to Cartimandua, he enjoyed Roman protection and was a loyal ally; however, after they split he attacked her and even became embroiled in hostilities against us. At first the Brigantian leaders confined themselves to fighting each other, as Cartimandua cleverly trapped Venutius' brother and dependants. Before long, however, Cartimandua's enemies became angry at the disgrace which they perceived to be involved in being ruled by a woman, and they attacked her kingdom with a hand picked band of strong, young warriors.

We were ready for this, and made a pre-emptive strike with a force of auxiliaries which we sent in to support Cartimandua. Although these support-troops achieved little to start with, they were eventually successful..." We cannot expect Tacitus to be impartial and must regard with some suspicion his claims of outright success. Cartimandua had to be rescued from her captors and instead of being restored to the throne of her tribal territory she disappears from history. The Wall was built and rebuilt several times and the Roman strategists also applied their maxim "divide and rule", to their treatment of the population. South of the Wall they cultivated friendships and developed trade to the general benefit of the population, to the north of the Wall they applied the cruel strategies of subjugation and domination.By this method they divided the people and created territorial boundaries that have endured into the present era. It is easy to believe these early tribal peoples are just barbarians but Tacitus gives us an idea of both their eloquence and the hostility that was felt amongst the indigenous peoples on the receiving end of Agicola's campaigns in Scotland when he reports the comments of a Caledonian Chief.

"Today the uttermost parts of Britain are laid bare, there are no other tribes to come, nothing but sea and cliffs and these more deadly Romans, whose arrogance you shun in vain by obedience and self restraint.... If there enemy have wealth; they have greed, if he is poor; they are ambitious. East nor West has glutted them alone of all mankind they behold with the same passion of concupience waste alike and want." This remote area of northern Britain undoubted played a major part in the making of modern Britain. There is good evidence that the Romans introduced Germanic legions to defend Hadrains Wall, and it is their descendants that established one of the earliest Saxon kingdoms, Northumbria. These Germanic legions were most probably the first English. When Roman authority finally collapsed after over 300 hundred years, they left a power vacuum. Many long established and culturally distinct groups existed throughout Britain, some indigenous and some introduced by the Romans. Romano-Britons and tribal Britons west of the Pennines, Jute's, Angles, Frisians along the eastern end of Hadrians Wall. Scots, Britons and Caledonians north of Hadrians Wall.

Almost 500 hundred years of civil war ensued before the English nation emerged as the dominant power south of Hadrains Wall, in the land that still bears their name. Britain is a heavily populated land but if you visit any of the forts along the Wall you cannot escape the impression that in this area of Britain; the events of this distant past still exceed the achievements of the modern era. The building of the Wall would be an impressive achievement in out time, but 1800 years ago when the population of Britain was 2 million approx. It is a stunning testimony to Roman engineering, but also graphically demonstrates the problems the Romans had in subduing the population of northern Britain throughout the period of their occupation. About the Author: Andrew Mercer was the webmaster of Alternative Routes - a website providing travel info on unusual and exotic destinations around the world. Related: Hadrian's Wall | Roman wall, England, United Kingdom | Britannica.com Roman wall, England, United Kingdom Written By: list of Roman emperors Hadrian’s Wall, continuous Roman defensive barrier that guarded the northwestern frontier of the province of Britain from barbarian invaders.

The wall extended from coast to coast across the width of northern Britain; it ran for 73 miles (118 km) from Wallsend (Segedunum) on the River Tyne in the east to Bowness on the Solway Firth in the west. The original plan was to construct a stone wall 10 Roman feet wide (a Roman foot is slightly larger than a standard foot) and at least 12 feet high for the eastern sector and a turf rampart 20 Roman feet wide at the base for the western sector; both were fronted by a ditch, except where the crags rendered this superfluous. At every 1/3 Roman mile there was a tower, and at every mile a fortlet (milefortlet, or milecastle) containing a gate through the wall, presumably surmounted by a tower, and one or two barrack-blocks. Before this scheme was completed, forts were built on the wall line at roughly 7-mile intervals and an earthwork, known as the vallum, dug behind the wall and the forts. Probably at this stage the stone wall was narrowed from 10 Roman feet wide to about 8 feet.

The fortlets, towers, and forts continued for at least 26 miles (42 km) beyond Bowness southward down the Cumbrian coast. Hadrian’s Wall, near the Scottish border in northern England. © Paul Banton/Shutterstock.com Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc. Emperor Hadrian (ruled 117–138 ce) went to Britain in 122 and, in the words of his biographer, “was the first to build a wall, 80 miles long, to separate the Romans from the barbarians.” The initial construction of the wall took approximately six years, and expansions were later made. Upon Hadrian’s death, his successor Antoninus Pius (138–161) decided to extend the Roman dominion northward by building a new wall in Scotland . The resulting Antonine Wall stretched for 37 miles (59 km) along the narrow isthmus between the estuaries of the Rivers Forth and Clyde. Within two decades, however, the Antonine Wall was abandoned in favour of Hadrian’s Wall, which continued in use nearly until the end of Roman rule in Britain (410).

Foundations of buildings at Housesteads Fort, an exceptionally well-preserved ruin of a Roman … © Gail Johnson/Fotolia Tower Bridge Hadrian’s Wall was built mainly by soldiers of the three legions of Britain, but it was manned by the second-line auxiliary troops. Its purpose was to control movement across the frontier and to counter low-intensity threats. There was no intention of fighting from the wall top; the units based on the wall were trained and equipped to encounter the enemy in the open. A section of Housesteads Fort, a Roman outpost along Hadrian’s Wall in Northumberland, England. © Jule_Berlin/Fotolia In 1990–91 excavations of a milefortlet just north of Maryport, Cumbria , provided information on a Roman garrison’s lifestyle. The fortlet, which was occupied for a short time during Hadrian’s reign, rendered artifacts such as fragments of game boards and a large number of hearths and ovens. The fortlet has been partially reconstructed and made accessible to the public. In 1987 Hadrian’s Wall was designated a UNESCO World Heritage site .

Over the centuries many sections of the wall have suffered damage caused by roads traversing it and by the plunder of its stones to build nearby houses and other structures. However, the remaining foundations and forts attract tourists from throughout the world. Compare Great Wall of China . Portion of Hadrian’s Wall between the Scottish Borders, Scotland, and Northumberland, England. Dmitri Kessel—Time Life Pictures/Getty Images Hadrian's Wall Path - Hadrian's Wall Path Fixed Price Self Guided Walk Hadrian’s Wall Path ~ 82.5miles (133km) Hadrian’s Wall Path is a linear route between the River Tyne in the east and the Solway Firth in the west. This National Trail first opened in 2003 and follows the line of the historic Roman wall that divided England and Scotland. Walkers are offered a fascinating combination of ancient history across the wild landscapes of Northumberland with its flora and fauna while overnighting in the comfort of traditional villages. The wall was built on the orders of Emperor Hadrian in the second century AD, to protect the northern border of the Roman Empire and is Europe’s largest surviving Roman monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

There are several informative museums and visitor centres along the route, beginning with the excellent facility at Segedunum at Wallsend. Explore the remains of the Roman Forts, Milecastles and Turrets while marvelling at the engineering skills that created this unique construction. In the summer season there is a daily bus service, together with a good train service from Newcastle to Carlisle that offers transport to walkers along the route. This walk has a wide variety of route options. Our Fixed Price packages offers a choice of 2 walk schedules with 6 or 7 days walking at a great value inclusive price. Accommodation Hadrian’s Wall Path offers an excellent choice of accommodation with a wide selection to suit every taste including youth hostels, bed and breakfast guest houses, inns, historic houses and hotels available. For more details please see our guidelines on the PRICES AND BOOKINGS PAGE . This will provide an indication of what you are likely to pay for the different categories of accommodation, however it is possible to choose a different type for each day if that’s what you want. Our service is designed to be totally flexible, to suit your individual preference.

PRICE from £455 GBP per person based on 2 people sharing accommodation Cost of Tour: £455* for 6 days walking / 7 overnights > Single Supplement: £140 > Additional Overnight (Twin/Double): £50 > Additional Overnight (Single): £70 To make a reservation complete the ENQUIRY FORM or Email: info@easyways.com and please quote code: HWPFP * Includes one bag per person for minimum 2 person transfer – maximum weight for bags is 16 kilos per bag Key Symbols Easy Fixed Price Package Price Includes: Accommodation in quality B&Bs, guest houses, inns and hotels in rooms with shower/wc (where available) Cooked breakfast Rucksack Readers guide book or Harvey Map Location details for each accommodation Travel information to the start and from the finish of the walk Suggested equipment list Not included: Evening meals, packed lunches and drinks Transport to the start of the walk at Wallsend and from the end of the walk at Bowness-on-Solway Travel insurance 6 Days Walking / 7 Overnights: Day 1 Arrive Wallsend Wallsend derives its name from its location at the end of Hadrian’s Wall .

The town’s principal thoroughfare and shopping street is the High Street and to the north, Wallsend Green is the town’s most picturesque area. Behind the Green lies Wallsend Park, a traditional British Municipal Park. In dedication to its Roman heritage, Wallsend’s historic name Sedgedunum can be seen in many places throughout the town and signs with Latin wordings can also be found. Translations of these terms tend to amuse as they contrast today’s norms with ancient times. Segedunum Fort Museum has displays on Roman history as well as reconstructions of a bath house and a section of the Roman Wall which once stood on the site. Overnight in Wallsend. Wallsend to Heddon-on-the-Wall 14mi/24km The Segedunum Roman Fort marks the official starting point of the walk. This section is easy going and follows the walls of the ancient Fort, before taking the footpath over the once Tyne to Blyth railway line to Walker and joining the River Tyne at Newcastle Quayside.

The walk passes many bridges (including the iconic Millennium Bridge) before heading west out of the city into the more open Northumberland countryside and ending at the elevated village of Heddon-on-the Wall, where further Roman remains are visible. Day 3 Heddon-on-the-Wall to Chollerford 15.5mi/25km Now in open countryside, the walk continues to follow the course of Hadrian’s Wall towards Harlow Hill. At this section the Roman ditch, or Vallum, is more visible than the wall itself, until Chollerford draws near, where sections of the wall start to appear again. This is partly due to the wall itself being used as a source of material for the foundations of General Wade’s Military Road, including the impressive five-arched bridge built in 1775. Day 4 Chollerford to Twice Brewed 12.5mi/20km This part of the walk is especially impressive, as leaving Chollerford alongside sections of the Wall, the route enters Northumberland National Park with improving views all round, including Whin Sill, where the Wall was built along the top of the cliff to take full advantage of the natural contour of the rock face.

The remains of Housesteads Roman Fort and National Trust Museum is passed on the crags above Crag Lough, with Vindolanda Fort a couple of miles away – an option accessible by Hadrian’s Wall Bus. This section ends with a scenic walk over Highshield Crags before descending to Peel Crags and following on through Once Brewed on surfaced road the short distance to Twice Brewed. Day 5 Twice Brewed to Banks 13mi/21km The route takes in the highest point on the walk commencing with an ascent over Winshields Crags to reach 345m above sea level. With impressive views all around the path then descends to Bogle Hole and down steps through Thorny Doors and up Cawfields Crags to pass Great Chesters and Magnis Forts, the ruins of Thirlwall Castle before crossing into Cumbria on the River Irthing at the quaint village of Gilsland. View the Roman defences at Birdoswald before walking on high above the steep sided Irthington Gorge, to the small settlement at Banks, well placed to overlook the Irthing Valley and Lanercost Priory.

Day 6 Banks to Carlisle 13mi/21km Depart Banks over a fertile agricultural landscape and parkland as the route descends to the quaint village of Walton, with its interesting church beside the village green. This is easy walking and continues over undulating rural countryside, along the banks of the beautiful River Eden into historic Carlisle, on the Scotland / England Border. The City has a number of interesting locations to take time off to visit, including an imposing castle with ancient city walls and a beautiful cathedral. Day 7 Carlisle to Bowness-on-Solway 14mi/23km The final section begins by departing Carlisle along the banks of the River Eden, following the line of the Wall and Vallum, through Grinsdale and Beaumont to leave the river and traversing the salt marshes of the Solway Firth. Stunning scenery is all around towards the Lakeland Fells to the peaks of Skiddaw and High Pike to the south and across the Solway Firth north to Scotland. Pass through Burgh by Sands where the trail initially joins an old railway embankment to meet the line of the Wall again near Glasson.

The final stretch follows the minor road to Bowness on Solway, the site of the Roman fort of Maia and the end of the route. Note: An alternative to the final day walking west to east is to take a scheduled bus, departing Carlisle Bus Station at around 09:00 to Bowness On Solway and walk back to Carlisle. BBC - Primary History - Romans - Romans in Scotland Romans in Scotland Why didn't the Romans conquer Scotland? How do we know about Romans in Scotland? Mostly from finds made by archaeologists . For example, in 1905 archaeologists found a Roman fort at Newstead, near Melrose in the Borders. The Romans called this fort Trimontium ('three mountains'). The topmost remains of the fort date from the AD 140s when the Antonine Wall was built. Underneath were the remains of an older fort, probably built around AD 80. Forts protected Roman military roads. Recent finds show that the Romans went as far north as Inverness. However, they did not stay and build towns like they did in Roman Britain (England and Wales).

Back to top First outposts Early evidence for the Romans in Scotland is the Gask Ridge. This earth-bank defence in Perthshire dates from around AD 70. It was made before Hadrian's Wall or the Antonine Wall and is further north. The Gask Ridge is about 20 miles (32 km) long. The Romans set up forts and watch towers along it. In AD 79 the Roman general Agricola sent ships to explore the Scottish coast. He was preparing to invade Scotland. To protect their army, the Romans built forts like Trimontium near Melrose. Back to top Scotland's biggest Roman fort Inchtuthil (its Roman name was Victoria) is the biggest Roman fortress in Scotland. On the banks of the River Tay near Blairgowrie, it was built around AD 83 by soldiers of the 20th Legion. More than 5,000 legionaries were based here, to guard the way to the Highlands. The fortress was huge! Its outer wall stretched 7 miles (10 km). Inside were 64 barrack rooms for soldiers, a hospital, and a headquarters building with a shrine to the gods.

Inchtuthil fortress was abandoned after only four years. The 20th Legion marched back south. Back to top Battle in the north Roman soldiers fought the Caledonian tribes in Scotland. These tribes included the Picti or 'painted people' as the Romans called them. The biggest battle was in AD 84. The Roman historian Tacitus says it was at Mons Graupius. No one knows exactly where this was, but it was possibly in the Grampian Mountains in the north of Scotland. Led by a chief named Calgacus, the Caledonians had about 30,000 warriors. The Roman army led by Agricola was probably smaller, but the Romans won. Soon after, Agricola went back to Rome. Back to top Why didn't the Romans conquer Scotland? Some experts think the Romans marched as far north as Cawdor, near Inverness. There are remains of a Roman fort here. But the Romans did not stay in the north. In the AD 160s, they abandoned the Antonine Wall, making Hadrian's Wall the northern frontier of Roman Britain.

The last big Roman army campaign in Scotland was in 208-210. There are Roman remains (such as bath-houses, roads and forts) in southern and central Scotland. But the Romans never settled the north. Their main concern was to protect Roman Britain from attacks by northern tribes. Such attacks increased in the AD 300s. The Roman army left Britain in AD 410. Hadrian’s Wall: Northern Frontier of the Roman Empire Credit: Collpicto Shutterstock.com Construction started around A.D. 122, after a visit to Britain by Emperor Hadrian (reign A.D. 117-138), a ruler determined to consolidate the Roman Empire’s borders. England and Wales had both fallen to Roman control by A.D. 61 when the Iceni queen, Boudicca, was defeated. Scotland, however, had successfully resisted Roman attempts at conquest, a people called the “Caledonians” thwarting attempts by Roman legions to take permanent control of the Scottish lowlands. The wall was Hadrian’s attempt to establish a defendable border between southern Britain and the unconquered north.

Built using local materials by Roman soldiers from the II, VI and XX legions, the wall’s initial fortifications were finished within a few years and were manned mainly by auxiliary (non-Roman citizen) units. The wall would have made a strong impression on the local people, to say the least. “We have to envisage an area of Britain where there wasn’t all that much stone building, certainly no monumental masonry. So it would have been a totally alien thing,” said Professor Miranda Aldhouse-Green of Cardiff University in a BBC Timewatch documentary. “It would be like a visitation from another world and people would be gobsmacked [stunned] by it.” Stone and turf University of Edinburgh researcher Nic Fields notes that, when originally constructed, the eastern portion of the wall was built of stone and ran for 41 miles (65 km), ending at Newcastle upon Tyne (eventually this was expanded further east to Wallsend). It measured about 10 feet (3 meters) wide and perhaps 15 feet (4.4 meters) tall.

The western portion of the wall, on the other hand, was made of turf and extended for 29 miles (47 km), ending at Bowness-on-Solway. Its width was about 20 feet (5.9 meters). “Turf was a building material that was tried and tested and its use in the western sector might indicate a need for speed of construction,” writes Fields in his book, "Hadrian’s Wall A.D. 122-410" (Osprey Publishing, 2003). To the north of Hadrian’s Wall was a V-shaped ditch and to the south was another line of defense called the “Vallum,” which was constructed gradually. The Vallum consisted of a ditch flanked by “large earth ramparts or mounds” writes Newcastle University researcher Rob Collins in his book, "Hadrian’s Wall and the End of Empire" (Routledge, 2012). About every mile of the wall was equipped with a milecastle, a small gateway that could house a few soldiers. There were two turrets between each milecastle. In addition large fortresses were built about every seven miles (11 km) apart.

Collins writes in his book that these fortresses were up to nine acres in size, were shaped like a “playing-card” and had all the necessary support facilities. “Important building such as the principia (headquarters building), praetorium (commanding officer’s house), and horrea (granaries) were found in the central range, with the front and rear ranges containing barrack accommodation and other structures.” The presence of women At the fortress of Vindolanda, hundreds of wooden tablets with handwritten Latin writing have been unearthed, providing glimpses into the everyday lives of the soldiers stationed there. This particular fortress was in use before and during the time of Hadrian’s Wall. Archaeologists excavate ruins at an ancient Roman fort and settlement in Roman Vindolanda near Hadrian's Wall. Credit: Patricia Hofmeester / Shutterstock.com The texts reveal that senior military commanders at Vindolanda did have wives, and the tablets reveal a correspondence between two women, Sulpicia Lepidina and Claudia Severa. The two were isolated by their sex and social status, and may have been lonely.

“The letters between them deal with little things such as invitations to come and visit: Claudia, for example, invites Sulpicia to visit her on her birthday,” writes researcher Geraint Osborn in his book, "Hadrian’s Wall and its People" (Bristol Phoenix Press, 2006). “I give you a warm invitation to make sure that you come to us, to make the day more enjoyable for me by your arrival...” reads part of the invitation from Claudia (translation from "Vindolanda Tablets Online," Oxford University). The wives of lower ranking soldiers on Hadrian’s Wall fortresses had to be more discreet. “Men of lower ranks were forbidden to marry; they should have no ties to the area, so that they could be rapidly posted elsewhere,” writes Osborn. “However, whatever the prohibitions, ordinary soldiers did contract illegal marriages, often keeping wives and kids in the vicus (civilian settlements adjacent to the fortresses).” The wall throughout time As Rome’s military position in Britain changed so did the wall. After Hadrian’s death in A.D. 138, his successor Antoninus Pius (reign A.D. 138-161) adopted a radically different policy in Britain.

He abandoned Hadrian’s Wall and made a concerted effort to conquer the Scottish lowlands. After having some success, he built a new line of fortifications in Scotland known as Antonine’s Wall. Antoninus’ conquest proved only temporary and by the end of his reign, the Scottish fortifications had been abandoned and Hadrian’s Wall reoccupied. A series of modifications were then made to the wall, including the replacement of the turf portion in favor of stone and the construction of a road called the “military way” to the south of the wall. In addition, Collins notes, the turrets appear to have been decommissioned and the gateways of the milecastles narrowed. As time went on more changes occurred. In the fourth century, as the Roman Empire came under greater military pressure, Collins notes that the gates of the milecastles were narrowed further and some blocked off altogether. After the collapse of the Roman Empire in the fifth century, and the beginning of the Dark Ages, the political landscape of Britain changed and the wall became “politically redundant,” Collins writes. Its fortifications were quarried for stone, some of them being used to help build England’s medieval castles, the country’s new premier fortifications.

Hadrians Wall, the Roman border of Scotland & England Hadrian's Wall, the frontier of Scotland Hadrian's Wall has come to represent the frontier between England and Scotland. Strangely enough, today it is well south of the political border between the countries. 90% of the English county of Northumberland is north of the wall. However many of the border changes took place during the Middle Ages, and to most people Scotland still starts at the wall Who built Hardens Wall The Roman Emperor Hadrian came to Britain in AD 122. It is believed that he gave the order for the building of the wall as a frontier, demarcating the Roman south from the barbarian north. There were already a line of forts following a Roman road, Stanegate. Hadrian's walls followed this line, and was a wall., ditch and a series of forts, milecastles and turrets along its 74 mile length from the North Sea to the Irish Sea Over the next six years legionaries, not slaves, built the wall. Why Hardens Wall was built Just to mark the northern frontier of Rome, seems to be the answer.

A few years later the Romans tried to establish a frontier further north in the Scottish Lowlands with the Antonine Wall. However that expansion did not last long (AD 140 to AD163) and they were soon back at Hardens Wall. Hardens Wall appears to have served its purpose as there is no record of any major battles along the wall How was it built The Romans started construction on the eastern end, and the wall was a stone wall 15 feet high, with a deep ditch to the north. and a further ditch to the south A sophisticated system of strongholds and sentries ensured the whole wall was defensively secure. There were a number of large forts, which were main supply bases and crossing points. Between forts there was a milecastle every Roman mile, garrisoned by 8 soldiers, and between each milecastle, two turrets for sentries West of Bowness a chain of forts and towers ran down the Cumbrian coast to protect the flank of the wall The decline of the wall By around 400 AD, the Roman Empire was in decline. Frontier defences were neglected and money stopped arriving from Rome. Eventually the Roman Army was withdrawn from Britain, and the wall abandoned.

Eventually local people started using it as a stone quarry, and stone was carted off to make houses. However much still remains, particularly in the wilder central sections, where there was little population to remove stone Hardens Wall is, of course now protected. Today, the best-preserved sections of wall are in a 20-mile section between Hexham and Haltwhistle in Northumberland. There you can see the run of the wall, forts, camps, turrets plus museums with relics of the Roman past 1000+ images about Hadrians Wall on Pinterest | Hadrian's wall, Roman and Underfloor heating Hadrian's Wall, England. From Roman times, built for defensive fortification. See more Hadrian's Wall rebuild starts ahead of Scottish independence referendum | Daily Mail Online comments The referendum on whether Scotland should leave the UK is still a year away - but a group of craftsmen have already started the job of dividing England from its northern neighbour. Four dryliners from Cumbria are helping to rebuild parts of Hadrian's Wall, which was erected by the Romans to keep the 'barbarian' inhabitants of Scotland out of 'civilised' England.

The project is intended as a way of protecting the ancient stone wall - but one of the workers jokes that they may have to reinforce the barrier with concrete if the referendum is successful in splitting up Britain. Restoration: Craftsman Steven Allen pictured helping to rebuild Hadrian's Wall in northern Britain Historic: The workers, including George Allonby, are using the original Roman stone to repair weaker sections Collaboration: The local experts have resorted to old-fashioned techniques to reinforce the monument Hadrian's Wall was built in the 2nd century AD and manned by Roman soldiers, who wanted to protect their British territory from the Picts who lived in what is now Scotland. Ever since the Act of Union in 1707, the wall has run across the middle of the United Kingdom - but after next year's referendum, it could become an international border once again. RELATED ARTICLES Share this article Share Every inhabitant of Scotland will be asked to vote on the question, 'Should Scotland be an independent country?' on September 18 next year. Most polls suggest that the referendum question is likely to be rejected, but if it succeeds it will fundamentally change the landscape of Britain.

Friendly: George Allonby and Mark Jennings set to work replacing sections of the wall which have weakened History: But some have joked that the wall could divide England and Scotland if the UK breaks up next year Atmospheric: The wall runs for more than 80 miles across the hills of northern Britain The four dryliners who are rebuilding Hadrian's Wall are more interested in contributing to history than arguing about politics, however. George Allonby, Mark Jennings, Steven Allen and Geoff Capstick are taking original Roman stone from stronger sections of the wall in order to reinforce the weaker sections. They are shifting 10 tonnes of stone every day as part of the £500,000 project, which was commissioned by the Hadrian's Wall Trust and will continue until the end of next month. Heavy duty: The workers are moving 10 tonnes of ancient stone every ay as part of the project Hard at work: The £500,000 project is due to continue until the end of next month BRITAIN'S ANCIENT FRONTIER WALL Hadrian's Wall takes its name from the Emperor Hadrian, who ruled over the Romans at the time the fortification was first constructed in 122 AD.

The wall stretches across northern Britain from the River Tyne in the east to the Solway Firth in the west, roughly dividing the territory of the Romans from that of the Picts. The vast majority of the wall is now in England, suggesting that the border between the two countries has shifted north since ancient times. It was dotted with fortified towers which would have provided the bases for Roman soldiers defending the territory and inhabitants of their empire. Although much of Hadrian's Wall is now in a state of relative disrepair, it is still a notable landmark in the region and is popular among hikers walking its 84-mile length. 'This is a really enjoyable job,' Mr Allen said. 'To think you're working with stone somebody put in 2,000 years ago. And leaving something at the end of the day that'll be there in 200 to 300 years - there's not many jobs that are like that. 'It's about picking the right stone to go in the right place. You've got to look for the one that's going to fit. That comes with experience.

It's a big jigsaw.' Bryan Scott, from the Hadrian's Wall Trust, said: 'By repairing the dry stone wall we're protecting the Roman wall underneath. 'The wall was built to separate Romans and barbarians. The wall is still used as a boundary - but now it's between fields rather than Romans and barbarians.' Mr Scott also joked that it might be time to rebuild the wall entirely if the independence referendum drives England and Scotland apart. 'A local civil engineering firm was asked to calculate the cost of a wall made of concrete,' he said. 'It was £80million at 1974 prices - maybe we should think about it if there is a "yes" vote for Scottish independence next year?' Hadrian's Wall Path, England - Hadrian's Wall Path, England Hadrian’s Wall Path ~ 84miles (134km) Hadrian’s Wall Path is a linear route between the River Tyne in the east and the Solway Firth in the west. This National Trail first opened in 2003 and follows the line of the historic Roman wall that divided England and Scotland.

Walkers are offered a fascinating combination of ancient history across the wild landscapes of Northumberland with its flora and fauna while overnighting in the comfort of traditional villages. The wall was built on the orders of Emperor Hadrian in the second century AD, to protect the northern border of the Roman Empire and is Europe’s largest surviving Roman monument and a UNESCO World Heritage Site. There are several informative museums and visitor centres along the route, beginning with the excellent facility at Segedunum at Wallsend. Explore the remains of the Roman Forts, Milecastles and Turrets while marvelling at the engineering skills that created this unique construction. In the summer season there is a daily bus service, together with a good train service from Newcastle to Carlisle that offers transport to walkers along the route. This allows a wide variety of route options from three to ten days walking. Accommodation The Hadrian’s Wall Path offers all types of accommodation including bunkhouses, youth hostels bed and breakfast guest houses, inns and hotels available. You will see from our guidelines on the PRICES AND BOOKINGS PAGE that EasyWays has banded the different types of accommodation.

This provides an indication of what you are likely to pay however you can choose a mixture of types of accommodation each day, for example: a bed and breakfast one evening and a hotel the next. Our service is designed to be totally flexible and to suit your individual preference. Key Symbols Hadrians Wall, extent of the Roman Empire 4 pages on Hadrian's Wall Hadrians wall One of the greatest monuments to the power - and limitations - of the Roman Empire, Hadrian's Wall ran for 73 miles across open country. Why was it built? At the time of Julius Caesar's first small invasion of the south coast of Britain in 55 BC, the British Isles, like much of mainland Europe was inhabited by many Celtic tribes loosely united by a similar language and culture but nevertheless each distinct. He returned the next year and encountered the 4000 war chariots of the Catevellauni in a land "protected by forests and marshes, and filled with a great number of men and cattle." He defeated the Catevellauni and then withdrew, though not before establishing treaties and alliances. Thus began the Roman occupation of Britain.

Nearly 100 years later, in 43 AD, the Emperor Claudius sent Aulus Plautius and about 24,000 soldiers to Britain, this time to establish control under a military presence. Although subjugation of southern Britain proceeded fairly smoothly by a combination of military might and clever diplomacy, and by 79 AD what is now England and Wales were firmly under control, the far North remained a problem. However, the Emperor Vespasian decided that what is now Scotland should also be incorporated into the Roman Empire. Under his instructions the governor of Britian, Julius Agricola, subdued the Southern Scottish tribal clans, the Selgovae, Novantae and Votadini by 81 AD. Further to the North lived loose associations of clans known collectively as the Caledonians. Agricola tried to provoke them into battle by marching an army into the Highlands eventually forcing a battle with the Caledonian leader Calgacus in present day Aberdeenshire at a place called Mons Graupius.

30,000 Caledonians were killed, but the Roman victory was a hollow one, for the next day the surviving clansmen melted away into the hills, and were to remain fiercely resistant and independent. By the time Hadrian became Emperor in 117 AD the Roman Empire had ceased to expand. Hadrian was concerned to consolidate his boundaries. He visited Britain in 122 AD, and ordered a wall to be built between the Solway Firth in the West and the River Tyne in the east "to separate Romans from Barbarians". Page 2:

Question: Who built the Roman wall which divided England and Scotland?
Answer: Hadrian