The exact reasons why emperor Hadrian decided to build a 118 km long fortified coast to coast wall in northern England are not known, but it must have something to do with keeping the wild Caledonians in the Scottish Lowlands at bay.

Construction of Hadrian's Wall started in 122 AD and the Emperor himself is said to have visited the works. When finished, its whitewashed walls must have been quite an impressive landmark.

 

His successor build his own wall 160 km to the north, but this Antonine Wall was soon after relinqueshed.

Hadrians Wall was in use even after the Romans fully abandoned England in 410, but later it became a ruin and its stones were used for other buildings and roads.

 

But enough of the construction exists today to get a feeling for how it must have looked like in its haydays.

 

In May 2015 we visited the remains of Hadrian's Wall at Housesteads Roman Fort.