>Hadrian's Wall
29 May 2004
The weather did not favor us on this day, it rained most of
the morning. We got a very early start, and visited Brough
Castle, Caerlaverock
Castle, and Lanercost
Priory before starting down the Wall.
Banks Turret to Birdoswald Fort
With the weather slowly improving, we started at the west edge
of the visible Wall and worked our way east.
Hadrian's wall was built by the order of the Emperor Hadrian,
following his visit to Britain in AD 122. It was planned as a continuous wall
with a milecastle every Roman mile (1.48k) and two turrents equally spaced
between each milecastle. The wall, with its defensive ditches and large forts,
stretched from coast to coast, a distance of 80 Roman miles (approx. 120k
or 75 mi). It formed the northernmost frontier of the Roman Empire.
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hadrianswall_007.jpg
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Hadrian's wall, just east of Birdoswald Fort. I find it quite amazing
that so much of a wall built so long ago is still standing, though
it used to be much more impressive - about 15 feet (4.5 metres)
tall! Things are not often built so well in this age. I've wondered
if even Hadrian had any idea his wall would survive for so long.
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hadrianswall_008.jpg
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All that's left of Birdoswald Roman Fort. I'm standing just inside
where the exterior walls would have been, looking toward the granaries
(where the posts are, and beyond them) and the south gate at the
top of the hill. Much of the fort has never been excavated, it is
assumed that there were at a minimum, barracks blocks and stables
in the grassy area.
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hadrianswall_009.jpg
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From one of the informational signs, what the west gate may have
looked like.
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hadrianswall_010.jpg
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The West gateway today. Originally there were two portals, the one
to the left - just visible off the edge of the road - was blocked
up, probably around 230AD. The matching portal in the East gateway
was also blocked up - probably to make it more secure. The Military
Way would have passed through this gate and out the other - it was
the main road that connected all the forts along Hadrian's wall.
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hadrianswall_012.jpg
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Flooring of the north granary. The logs represent the position of
a later building, built after the Roman Empire fell.
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hadrianswall_013.jpg
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The East gateway. Some of the stones used to block the righthand
portal are still visible. This is one of the best preserved gateways
along the Wall. The first arch stone (voussoir) can still be seen
on the far left, as well as the inpost stone that supported the
arch.
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hadrianswall_017.jpg
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The view south from the fort, which is placed along the edge of
a very steep bluff, below which the river can barely be sen in the
trees.
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hadrianswall_019.jpg
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Look! A walking rug! Seriously, this sheep was so fully woolen,
that it did remind me of an escaping mop as it moved off...
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hadrianswall_020.jpg
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A guard chamber in the south gateway. During the third century,
this chamber an the one on the left were converted into cookhouses.
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