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 Hadrians Wall, Housesteads, Co. Northumberland
Stretching from the northeast coast to the Solway Firth in the west, Hadrian’s Wall is a remarkable reminder of the Roman Occupation of Britain and is designated as a World Heritage Site.
 Image © by Eva Schuster
Hadrian's Wall was built in 122 AD, commissioned by Roman Emperor Hadrian to defend the northern frontiers of the Roman Empire from the troublesome Picts of what is now Scotland, or as was written at the time, ‘to separate the Romans from the Barbarians’.
The wall stretched for almost 80 miles from what is now Bowness on Solway in the west to Wallsend-on-Tyne in the east. It was built 15ft high and 10ft thick and was defended on the northern side by a deep ditch. Along the wall ran lookout turrets at regular intervals, Milecastles and forts within a day’s marching distance, with a military road running parallel to the wall on the south side enabling supplies and speedy reinforcements. The wall was defended by a total garrison of around 24,000 legionnaires and auxiliaries, men taken from the conquered parts of the Roman Empire, mainly from Belgium.
Great sections of the wall still survive today along with ruins of various garrisons, providing an atmospheric backdrop to the windswept landscape of Northumberland, particularly around Cawfields and Walltown Crags, while the ruins around Housesteads, Corbridge and Chester 's Fort are among the largest and most extensive excavated remains of Roman military settlements. These together with exhibitions on their former inhabitants provide a fascinating insight into a Centurion’s life on this remote, far-flung outpost of the Roman Empire.
An impressive World Heritage Site, Hadrian’s Wall forms the basis of a long distance walking route over the rugged moors of Northumberland and a selection of year round events are held in locations close to the wall involving parades of fully armoured legionnaires.
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