Hadrian's Wall

하드리아누스 방벽

Hadrian's Wall is an ancient Roman defensive wall in northern England. It stretches about 117 kilometers (73 miles) from Wallsend on the River Tyne in the east to Bowness-on-Solway in the west, crossing the whole width of the island of Britain. Work began in AD 122, during the reign of the Roman emperor Hadrian.

See it on the 3D globe →

At a glance

Country: United Kingdom
Location: Northumberland, UK
Built: 128
Type: Ancient site

Quick answers

Where is Hadrian's Wall?

Hadrian's Wall is in Northumberland, UK, United Kingdom.

When was Hadrian's Wall built?

Hadrian's Wall was built in 128.

The 118 km frontier wall of Roman Britain, snaking along the crags of the Whin Sill.

The wall was not just a line of stone. Soldiers lived in large forts along it, with smaller milecastles and lookout turrets in between, and wide ditches on both sides. It is the largest Roman structure in Britain and became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.

Why did the Romans build it?

The wall marked the northern edge of the Roman province of Britannia and gave soldiers a safe base for watching the land beyond. Its gates may also have worked as customs posts, where people crossing the frontier could be checked. A second Roman wall, the turf-built Antonine Wall in what is now Scotland, was begun in AD 142 and briefly replaced Hadrian's Wall before it was given up.

What can you see today?

Almost all of the wall's stone was taken away in later centuries and reused for roads and farmhouses, so no part stands at its original height. Even so, footings, forts and some rebuilt sections can still be seen, and several excavated forts and nearby museums are open to visitors. A long walking route, Hadrian's Wall Path, follows the line of the wall.

Fun facts

The wall is about 73 miles (117.5 kilometers) long.
Local builders reused much of its stone for roads and farmhouses.
Soldiers lived in forts along the wall, and small milecastles and turrets filled the gaps between them.
The Romans later built a second wall, the Antonine Wall, further north in Scotland.