Experience Britain's greatest Roman monument: 2000 years in the making

Staggering in the planning; masterful in its execution; awe-inspiring in its scale. There can only be one historic monument in Britain that truly lives up to all this (dare we say) hype. And that’s Hadrian's Wall, our Roman Frontier.

Let's deal with the figures, which are somewhat dazzling for a small island nation. Around 150 miles of World Heritage Site from South Shields to Ravenglass, including 73 miles - or 80 Roman ones, if you prefer - of Wall (of course, not all standing now - the passing millennia have taken their toll). There were once over 30 forts on the Frontier, including 16 along the line of the Wall itself alongside coastal, outpost and supply forts. (Did you know that they were all in the shape of a playing card?) Not to mention around 80 milecastles and 160 turrets, a ditch to the north and the great defensive Vallum earthwork to the south. Phew!

The creation of this colossal feat of engineering was a mammouth project; just imagine trying to plan and implement the ultimate in frontier control in today's world. Incredibly, it only took three legions not much more than six years in all.

The result? 300 years of supremacy and 2000 years of indelible legacy. Magnificant.

What on earth drove Hadrian in the first place? Well, until the 1st century AD frontiers weren’t needed – Rome had set out to rule the known world. But by the time Hadrian got north in AD122, things had changed. Hadrian consolidated the Roman Frontier, both along natural features (like coasts and rivers) and by establishing man-made borders, of which the Wall remains the foremost and best-known.

A feature of frontiers, though, is their constant change. Hadrian's successor was later to establish yet another frontier, the Antonine Wall, 100 miles to the north - perhaps the ultimate in oneupmanship? Yet the ebb and flow of the Frontier saw Hadrian's Wall revived, triumphant, after only 20 years of disuse. Things didn't stop there: the Frontier continued to evolve as later emperors led powerful expeditions to the north. Today, in recognition of the Roman Empire's enduring power and significance, the UNESCO Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site includes our Wall and the German frontier too.
    
So there it was. And here it is. A stunning 'necklace' of Wall and forts across the north of England: Rome's border control and line of military defence. At its height, the Frontier would have been a busy, noisy, multi-cultural zone occupied by soldiers - and civilians - from all over the Roman Empire. Beyond lay the so-called 'barbarians'; behind lay the civilised world.

Get a real insight into the Hadrian's Wall corridor with the Hadrian's Wall Guidebook - including maps, plans and tours of all the important sites, as well as a history of the Wall and its associated forts - buy your copy today!

You can also order the free Hadrian's Wall Country Essential Pack - Holiday & Short Breaks Guide and the Visitor Guide & AD122 Bus Timetable to help you plan your visit to Hadrian's Wall Country.