Introduction

Hadrian's Wall was built to reflect the northern extremity of the Roman Empire and not the boundary between Scotland and England, as many people think. Construction of the wall started in AD122 and was completed in AD128 under the stewardship of Emperor Hadrian; it is 73 miles long and runs from Wallsend in Newcastle, Tyne and Wear to Bowness-on-Solway, Cumbria and acted as both a military fortification and to control trade and immigration across its boundary; 16 forts and various towns were on its route and there were turrets every Roman mile (milecastles). The Romans also constructed a Military Road immediately south of the wall for troop movements etc. Hadrian's Wall formed the North West frontier of the Roman Empire until AD410, when serious invasions started from the North by the Picts.

Much of the wall has been lost due its use for construction etc over the centuries; it is either simply not there or its route indicated by dry stone walling. Portions of it do remain, however, as do many Roman artefacts; this is thanks largely due to the efforts of John Clayton, a Victorian.

It is possible to walk the course of the route that Hadrian's Wall took via an 84 mile long footpath There is also a road, the B6318, that runs along some of, and in parts parallel to, the old Military Road (with the footpath criss-crossing it). We take the road option, turning off close to West Denton close to where Milecastle 8 was situated, and plan to visit some of the main sites en route . We will be based at Haltwhistle; there is no time to explore the town though.Read more