Hadrian's Wall, stretching from the North Sea to the Irish Sea (from the Tyne to the Solway), was 80 Roman miles (about 73 modern miles) long, 6-10 Roman feet wide, and 15 feet high. The dimensions grew smaller as the building progressed from east to west. In addition to the wall, the Romans built a system of small forts called milecastles (housing garrisons of up to 60 men) every Roman mile along its entire length, with towers every 1/3 mile. The 80th milecastle, at Bowness-on-Solway, was the last. Larger forts holding from 500 to 1000 troops were built at intervals into the wall, with large gates on the north face. To the south of the wall the Romans dug a wide ditch, (vallum), with 6' high earth banks.
Hadrian's Wall ran, originally, from Pons Aelius (Newcastle upon Tyne), but an addition was made to Segedunum [URL = www.roman-britain.org/places/segedunum.htm], a fort (now, in the town of Wallsend). Hadrian's Wall extends westward to Bowness-on-Solway. The reddish structure that looks like a wall is a reconstruction of what the wall would have looked like. The actual wall is only the pitiful gray remains in front (not the posts).
Photo of Hadrian's Wall at Wallsend.
- Hadrian
- Hadrian's Wall as It Is Now and as It Might Have Looked
- Hadrian's Wall at the North Tyne - Where Wall Meets Water
- Housesteads Fort
- Housesteads Fort Latrines
- Housesteads Hypocaust
- Hadrian's Wall Crosses Britain
- Chesters Fort Strongroom
- The Mithraeum at Carrawburgh
- Hadrian's Wall Military Hospital
