Hadrian’s Wall, Northern England
A remarkable World Heritage Site
Hadrian’s Wall is a remarkable relic of the Roman Empire, having been in place for nearly 1900 years. The size of the wall, which stretches for 73 miles across northern England, is amazing in itself, as are the remains of various forts and other structures along its length.
Why build a wall?
The forces of the Roman Empire never conquered the whole of the island of Britain. Although the Roman general Agricola had managed to subdue the tribes of southern Scotland in AD 80 to 82, and he defeated a Caledonian army at Mons Graupius (near modern Aberdeen) in AD 83, it proved very difficult to consolidate any gains of territory that were made, and the tribes that occupied these wild lands were fiercely independent.
It was therefore decided by Emperor Hadrian (reign AD 117–138) to set a limit to the Roman Empire by building a wall across northern England, beyond which the Romans would seek no further conquests. Hadrian spent much of his reign away from Rome, particularly in the frontier provinces, and it was during a visit to Britain in AD 122 that he ordered the wall to be built and surveyed the course that it would take. It took about six years to complete, although some work was being done as late as AD 136.
