Travel: Hadrian's Wall

Almost 2,000 years ago, the Roman Empire conquered much of Great Britain, up to what is modern-day Scotland.  In 122 AD, Emperor Hadrian decreed that a great wall would be built, spanning the entire width of England.  Reasons for building the wall remain vague to historians, but it would have been an expression of Rome's militaristic might and power, and it would help protect the Empire from barbarian invasion (which, at the time, would have been the Picts, and possibly the Brigantes).  Various forts along the wall would have provided a base for auxiliary Roman soldiers to serve as guards; auxiliary troops were non-Roman citizens who had to serve in the military for 25 years before becoming official Roman citizens.  As time went on, however, the lines between being a Roman and a native of England was blurred.  By the 5th century AD, the wall was abandoned, and parts of it became cannibalized by locals to build villages, homes, churches, and other structures.  Today, parts of the wall and Roman forts are scatted all around sporadically, and can be visited.

This wall once protected an empire.

The wall appears in certain spots, somewhere from 1 - 5 feet tall, before disappearing back into the grassy hills.  Actual forts are pretty much reduced to their foundations, with low-lying walls outlining where buildings used to be.  To see these places, you can either plan an extensive hike across the entire 77-miles stretch (which many people do, but I'm not sure what the particulars of it are), or you can follow the B3618 in your car.  Along this path, the most notable places will be Chesters, Birdoswald, and Vindolanda.  Other notable ruins may exist as well.  A lot of these places require admission or subscription to English Heritage,

The fort at Chesters (Cilurnum) features a smattering of small ruins, including a barracks building, gatehouses and towers, and a sizable bathhouse.  All of these structures are enclosed by wire fences, but it is possible for visitors to pass through and visit the ruins up-close.  It all rests on wide-open grass fields, close to a steep river bank.  Near the visitor's center, a museum is available, containing numerous artifacts and finds from all along Hadrian's Wall, especially from noted archeologist John Clayton.

Side of the barracks building at Chesters.

Birdoswald (Banna) is notable for having the longest stretch of intact wall.  After parking, you will need to walk up hill and around a curve for a bit, before coming across the visitor's center and exhibit, which includes wax figures and information.  Once you pay for admission, you can walk on the open grounds, where you can see large chunks of the wall and many low-lying ruins and foundations embedded in the ground.  Sheep roam around pretty freely here, which is cute, but also makes the ground littered with droppings.  If you walk past the ruins to the far side of the site, you can see a pretty wide-open view of the surrounding countryside (and this is a viewpoint that most people seem to miss, not willing to walk the extra 100 yards for some odd reason).

Ruins at Birdoswald.

Vindolanda is a place I saw many years ago.  As I recall, it is a pretty big site with some very sizable ruins.  A museum is also available here, amidst a garden.

As I said before, other places might be seen scattered around, including even more forts and wall segments.  These three sites are the three biggest that I've personally seen and am aware of, and are certainly with a trip for interested visitors.  It is pretty impressive to behold piece of Roman history in Great Britain; it is easy to see the influences of Normans, Saxons, Vikings, and the various English kings and queens of medieval history, but Rome predates all of these kingdoms, and their forts represent the very western edge of their vast empire.