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Not just another brick in the Wall: Visiting Hadrian's Wall
| Nearly 2000 years ago, a large wall was built along the green hills of what the Romans called Britannia at the time. It was built to warn off their enemies in the north. Emperor Hadrian ordered his troops to construct the wall in 122AD and it acted as part of their north-west frontier. The wall took a decade to build, was made from 27 million cubic feet of stone from the area and served the Romans for 300 years until the end of their reign over Britain in the 5th Century. The unlucky soldiers who had to man the wall were treated to an extremely windy stay, and were surrounded by wild moor land and forests that were home to wolves. Modern visitors to Hadrian's wall will not see the magnificent white structure that the Romans had built, the white lime stone has been reduced to rubble by mother nature. But there are still remains of the wall that stretch the 73 miles from Bowness on Solway on the east coast to Wallsend on the west coast. The wall is a UNESCO World Heritage Site that is managed by the English Heritage and sees large numbers of visitors every year. Bordering both Northumberland and Cumbria, means that visitors to both counties are able to come and marvel at this ancient construction. Apart from looking at the wall itself, what else is there to do in the area? Well there are preserved Roman forts that have been turned into museums, ancient villages and towns, quaint pubs and tearooms. You can visit Northumberland National Park that is home to the red Squirrel and many glorious views. One of the best ways to see the wall is to walk or cycle along it, staying at some of the inns and b&bs that are dotted along it. The Hadrian's wall National trail stretches along the 84 miles from coast to coast and links up with around 80 smaller walks. Cyclists can enjoy the Hadrian's wall Cycleway and Route 72 that is part of the National Cycle Network that encompasses 120 miles of routes. It's hard to fully explain the wonder that is Hadrian's wall in words, so if you are visiting either Northumberland or Cumbria then I strongly suggest you go and take a trip to Hadrian's Wall. |
About the Author
This article was written by Tom Sangers on behalf of Northumberland Cottages who offer Northumbrian Short Breaks
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