Hadrian’s Wall
Muro de Adriano
Hadrian’s Wall — to control their newly won territory in the northern edge of England, the Romans, upon the orders of Roman Emperor Hadrian, began building a coast-to-coast wall around 122 AD. That, along with heavily defended forts around the country, were designed to protect Roman England from the Caledonian tribes who lived in portions of Scotland.
Hadrian’s Wall is located near the border between modern-day Scotland and England. It runs in an east-west direction, from Wallsend and Newcastle on the River Tyne in the east, traveling about 73 miles west to Bowness-on-Solway on Solway Firth. Contrary to popular belief, Hadrian’s Wall does not, nor has it ever, served as the border between England and Scotland. However, it does hold significance as a UNESCO World Heritage site and a major tourist attraction.
There are four separate tourist-worthy sites that are part of Hadrian’s Wall:
1.) Housesteads Roman Fort – Take in the most complete example of a Roman fort in Britain, set high on a dramatic escarpment.
2.) Chesters Roman Fort and Museum – Explore the well preserved cavalry fort, including Roman baths, and discover an amazing collection of Roman objects and inscriptions in the Clayton Museum.
3.) Corbridge Roman Town – Walk the streets of this once bustling town and find out more about life outside the army in the museum, which is home to English Heritage’s biggest collection of Roman finds.
4.) Birdoswald Roman Fort – See the longest continuous remaining stretch of Hadrian’s Wall, and explore the extensive ruins of the fort.
For visitors content with seeing just one of these sites, they will be charged to visit that one location (e.g. £8.10 for an adult to visit Housesteads Roman Fort). For those intent on visiting all four of these Hadrian Wall-connected sites, it makes sense to purchase an “Overseas Visitor Pass” from English Heritage for £35 (per adult, or £65 for an entire family), especially if such visitors have plans to see other sites where that Pass is accepted. English Heritage is a charity which manages over 400 historic British monuments, buildings and sites. The “Overseas Visitor Pass” is also good to visit over 100 other UK historic sites. See their website for more info: www.english-heritage.org.uk