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Hadrian's Wall

Hadrian's Wall
The location of Hadrian's Wall in what is now northern England, and the later Antonine Wall in what is now the Central Belt of Scotland
LocationNorthern England
Coordinates55°01′N 2°17′W / 55.017°N 2.283°W / 55.017; -2.283
Length73 miles (117 km)
BuiltBegun 122 AD
Built forHadrian
Visitors100,000+ annually
Governing bodyHistoric England
OwnerVarious private and public ownerships
Designated1987 (11th session)
Part ofFrontiers of the Roman Empire
Reference no.430

Hadrian's Wall (Latin: Vallum Hadriani, also known as the Roman Wall, Picts' Wall, or Vallum Aelium in Latin) is a former defensive fortification of the Roman province of Britannia, begun in AD 122 in the reign of the Emperor Hadrian.[1] Running from Wallsend on the River Tyne in the east to Bowness-on-Solway in the west of what is now northern England, it was a stone wall with large ditches in front and behind, stretching across the whole width of the island. Soldiers were garrisoned along the line of the wall in large forts, smaller milecastles, and intervening turrets.[2] In addition to the wall's defensive military role, its gates may have been customs posts.[3]

A view of Hadrian's Wall showing its length and height. The upright stones on top of it are modern, to deter people from walking on it.

Hadrian's Wall Path generally runs close along the wall. Almost all the standing masonry of the wall was removed in early modern times and used for local roads and farmhouses.[4] None of it stands to its original height, but modern work has exposed much of the footings, and some segments display a few courses of modern masonry reconstruction. Many of the excavated forts on or near the wall are open to the public, and various nearby museums present its history.[5] The largest Roman archaeological feature in Britain, it runs a total of 73 miles (117.5 kilometres).[6] Regarded as a British cultural icon, Hadrian's Wall is one of Britain's major ancient tourist attractions.[7] It was designated a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.[8] The turf-built Antonine Wall of 142 in what is now central Scotland, which briefly superseded Hadrian's Wall before being abandoned,[9] was declared a World Heritage Site in 2008.[10][11]

Hadrian's Wall marked the boundary between Roman Britannia and unconquered Caledonia to the north.[a] The wall lies entirely within England and has never formed the Anglo-Scottish border, though it is sometimes loosely or colloquially described as such.[12][13][14]

  1. ^ "Hadrian's Wall: The Facts". Visit Hadrian's Wall. 8 March 2016. Archived from the original on 21 February 2019. Retrieved 21 February 2019.
  2. ^ Cite error: The named reference Lobell 2017 was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  3. ^ "Obituary: Brian Dobson". The Daily Telegraph. London. 21 September 2012. Archived from the original on 11 January 2022. Retrieved 22 September 2012.
  4. ^ Cite error: The named reference english-lakes.com was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  5. ^ "Route Description – Hadrian's Wall Path". National Trails. Archived from the original on 10 March 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  6. ^ Hart-Davis, Adam (23 June 2011). "Hadrian's Wall: A horde of ancient treasures make for a compelling new Cumbrian exhibition". The Independent. Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  7. ^ "More than 25,000 people see Hadrian's Wall lit up". BBC News. BBC. 17 March 2010. Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  8. ^ "Hadrian's Wall". English Heritage. 22 July 2004. Archived from the original on 22 July 2004.
  9. ^ Rohl, Darrell Jesse. "More than a Roman Monument: A Place-centred Approach to the Long-term History and Archaeology of the Antonine Wall" (PDF). Durham Theses. Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online ref: 9458. Archived from the original (PDF) on 19 October 2017. Retrieved 14 October 2017.
  10. ^ "Frontiers of the Roman Empire". UNESCO World Heritage Centre. UNESCO. Archived from the original on 9 August 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.
  11. ^ "Wall gains World Heritage status". BBC News. 8 July 2008. Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 8 July 2008.
  12. ^ Tighe, Chris (12 September 2014). "Borders held dear to English and Scots". Financial Times. Archived from the original on 19 October 2022. Retrieved 18 March 2017.
  13. ^ "Hadrian's Wall". History. 19 January 2018. Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 17 August 2020.
  14. ^ Pearson, Harry (18 January 2023). "The extraordinary tale of Hadrian's Wall: 'Men have been deified for trifles compared with this admirable structure'". Country Life. Archived from the original on 29 August 2023. Retrieved 5 September 2023.


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