The emperor Hadrian visited Britannia in AD 122 and ordered his generals
to build a wall from the Tyne to the Solway, to prevent raiders from
the north destroying the strategic Roman base at Corbridge, in
Northumberland.
Hadrian’s Wall was 80 Roman miles long - about 73 modern miles or 117 km. It was built in 5 mile stretches, with seventeen forts. Smaller forts called ‘milecastles’ were built every mile and between these were signal turrets.
Hadrian’s Wall was 80 Roman miles long - about 73 modern miles or 117 km. It was built in 5 mile stretches, with seventeen forts. Smaller forts called ‘milecastles’ were built every mile and between these were signal turrets.
Building the wall was a huge undertaking; it took 15 years to build, and sons
followed fathers into guarding the wall. Eighteen thousand soldiers
worked on it, and 4 million tonnes of stone were used. It served as a
frontier for several Roman incursions into Caledonia.
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| The Remains of a Mighty Wall |
