The Story of the Wall

The Emperor Hadrian (AD 76 - 138) travelled to Britain in around the year 120 to review the situation in the province, at the north-western edge of his vast empire. He quickly became aware of various difficulties. Not only were there the usual problems of provincial government and the struggle to maintain discipline and morale among the garrison stationed here, there were also real difficulties with the tribes in the north of Britain, who continued to raid the province, causing havoc and disrupting trade.

Hadrian was a very able man: well-educated, an artist and an architect as well as a decorated soldier. He evidently had such a good memory that he could remember the name of every officer in his legions. He was also a clear thinker and a formidable strategist. He realised that if Rome was to enjoy the extensive conquests of his predecessor Trajan (AD53 - 117) they would need to consolidate their gains rather than continue to expand.

As a result of this he reviewed the situation across the Empire. In Asia he withdrew his forces to the River Euphrates, a natural frontier. In Germany he ordered the building of a wooden frontier to mark the edge of the empire. In Britain he decided that a stone frontier was needed, and so he ordered the construction of a heavily fortified barrier stretching from the outskirts of Newcastle in the east, to the Solway Firth in the west.

The building of the Wall itself was a stupendous achievement, requiring nearly four million tons of rock to be quarried by hand and hauled up to the crags and ridges where it was built. It stretches nearly eighty miles, and was maintained by the Romans for nearly three hundred years.

Although many aspects of the history of the Wall still remain mysterious, many sites have provided invaluable sources of archaelogical evidence supporting our knowledge about the life of Roman soldiers in Britain. Come with us as we follow the wall from East to West:

1. ARBEIA ROMAN FORT & MUSEUM
2. WALLSEND ROMAN FORT
3. DENTON BURN WALL AND TURRET
4. BRUNTON TURRET
5. CHESTERS FORT
6. LIMESTONE CORNER
7. HOUSESTEADS FORT
8. VINDOLANDA
9. WALLTOWN CRAGS
10. BIRDOSWALD FORT
11. LANERCOST PRIORY

Arbeia Roman Fort & Museum

Arbeia Fort was built on the south bank of the Tyne to protect the mouth of the river, and it acted as a supply base for the garrisons along the Wall.

There is an impressive reconstruction of the West Gate, featured in the programme about the Wall, which gives a good idea of the scale of the original building.

Arbeia is a short walk from South Shields Metro station.
Tel. 0191 456 1369 for opening times, or visit the Arbeia website.

Wallsend: The Segedunum Roman Fort, Baths & Museum

The remains of another fort can be found in Newcastle, at Wallsend, in the shadow of the Swan Hunter shipyard on the north bank of the Tyne. This area of Newcastle is now known as Wallsend, and the fort here was originally called Segudunum, or 'Strong Fort'. It marked the beginning of the Wall itself.

The whole site has recently undergone extensive development, partly funded by the National Lottery, and a full-sized replica of a Roman Bath house can now be found on-site.

There is also a short length of reconstructed wall here, featured in the 'Hadrian's Wall' programme, which is built to the height of twelve feet. The evidence used to calculate the height was two fold: the writing of a monk call Bede, three centuries after the Wall had gone out of use, who tells us that the Wall had survived to about twelve feet in height. There are also the lower steps of stairs surviving along the Wall, and it is estimated that these would have originally continued to a height of fifteen feet. At Wallsend they went for the conservative estimate, and so it is possible that the Wall might even have been three feet higher than the already impressive reconstruction here.

Evidence has also turned up at various points along the Wall suggesting the it might originally have been whitewashed: traces of white plaster have been found. If that is the case, the Wall would have been visible for miles, a vivid statement of Roman military power.

Segedunum is a 200m walk south from Wallsend Metro Station.
More information is available at the Segedunum website.

Denton Burn Wall & Turret

As you head out of Newcastle along the A186 you will come across the first meaningful stretch of wall at West Denton. This was Guy's first stopping point in the programme. As well as a stretch of wall, there are also the remains of a turret (Turret 7B).

Turrets were two storey structures, built of stone and about 14 feet square inside. The ground floors often contained fire places and were used as a mess-room by the off-duty soldiers. A timber ladder led to the upper floor, which would have provided a look-out post.

Denton Burn Turret is now on the side of a very busy road, and it is hard to imagine what it must have been like here nearly 2000 years ago. You'll find much more impressive sites as you head out of Newcastle into the wilder up-country.

1.2 miles to the west of Benwell on the south side of the A186.
Free access at all times.

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