Shown above is a map of the historical Hadrian’s Wall. This landmark is located in northern England in the United Kingdom, just a touch below the border to Scotland.
The wall itself was named after the Roman emperor Hadrian, who ordered the Romans to build it in the year 122 AD. Designated as the northern frontier of the Roman empire in Britain at the time, the wall was also designed to restrict trade and movement, particularly from keeping enemy or “barbarian” tribes from entering beyond the wall.
The wall was constructed with both stone and turf, with the latter comprising most of the western part of the wall before stone became the dominant material. During the time of the Roman empire, the wall was guarded by Roman auxiliary troops, who are non-resident soldiers that live within the empire.
In order to house Roman soldiers living around the area, the wall includes multiple forts, as well as turrets and small fortlets called milecastles.
Hadrian’s Wall spans around 73 miles (117 kilometers) from Solway Firth beside the town of Carlisle in the west to Newcastle upon Tyne in the east.
Carlisle and Birdoswald in the western side holds the wall’s most significant forts where Roman soldiers once settled; Newcastle upon Tyne in the east also has some forts. Towards the middle of the wall, the towns of Haltwhistle, Hexham, and Corbridge contain important Roman archaeological remains.
The wall holds a historical significance and legacy. Its construction depicted the military might and engineering abilities of the Romans at the time, as well as how far the empire’s expansion could go.
Hadrian’s Wall was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in the year 1987, with archaeologists and historians continuing their search within and beneath the walls to find important artifacts about life during the Roman empire.
Tourists can walk around the so-called Hadrian’s Wall Path that trails the wall’s remnants. The stones from the wall were re-used for construction purposes as parts of the wall fell apart over time after the British withdrew from the Roman empire in the 5th century.
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