Just south of the border of Scotland is the narrowest part of England. This seventy-five mile stretch runs from Carlisle in the west to Newcastle upon Tyne in the east. Long ago a stout rock wall was constructed by three legions of Roman soldiers over this entire distance by order of the Roman Emperor, Hadrian (76-138 AD. Begun in 122 AD the wall was completed after six years of labor. What was its purpose? Some historians have suggested that it was built to “keep the Scots out,” and others have argued that it was built to “keep the English in.” Perhaps, it was built for both reasons. But in any case, it was a clear statement of Roman authority within the region. It marks the frontier between civilized Roman Britannia and the unconquered Scots of Caledonia.
Here are some interesting features about the wall: It runs straight across this narrow part of northern England–up and down hills, across pristine farmland, from one side of England to the other. It is not as high as it was when initially envisioned. The plan was that it would be twelve feet high, but in some places it was only eight feet tall due to a shortage of rock. Remarkably, the mortar used to build the wall is still holding the stones together nearly 1900 years after it was built! Once the Romans left Britannia in the early 400’s, the local people started cannibalizing the stones for other purposes. The rocks were a perfect building material for roads, fences, houses, barns, and churches. Today, the wall is mostly a ruin that appears from time to time along its ancient path. Throughout the course of the wall large forts, mile-castles, and turrets were constructed. There are gates built in the wall for trade and taxation. Also for defensive purposes, ten foot deep ditches–called a Vallum–run parallel to the wall on both sides. Sharpened wooden spikes were placed in the ditches to slow down marauding barbarian armies. Roman soldiers often looked at this duty as a cold and dreary posting–far from family, friends, and decent food. They felt as if they were on the edge of the civilized world; and in many respects they were!
Besides the legions of Roman soldiers that were garrisoned along the wall, several small towns sprung up a few miles south of the wall. Who lived in them? There were Roman officials in charge of supplies, priests serving in the local temple, farmers growing food and caring for animals, plus a bevy of skilled workmen who constructed the buildings, cisterns, and roads. Moreover, the families of some of the older and more-experienced soldiers lived in these communities. These towns represented a small outpost of Roman culture and civilization in a foreign land. One such town was Vindolanda. Its ruins have provided a treasure trove of relics and information into ancient Roman culture. We visited the ongoing archeological excavation at Vindolanda and were astonished by the large number of items that were being found on this site. In particular, there are lots leather shoes–amazingly preserved in the clay-like soil of Northumbria. Excavators have also found wooden tablets with all the normal correspondence you might find in any Roman city–military reports, to do lists, letters to be sent home, grocery lists, invitations to parties, etc. There is an extensive collection of shoes and tablets on display in the museum.
I highly recommend you visit Hadrian’s Wall and Vindolanda! Both sites give a fascinating picture of what life was like in ancient Roman culture. And for those who are stout in body and heart, hiking excursions can be arranged that follow the path of Hadrian’s Wall. We saw several groups making the trek while crossing the English countryside–its so very beautiful!
— Dr. Marcus J. Serven