Constructed after the visit of Emperor Hadrian in 122 AD by the Roman army, Hadrian’s Wall was constructed and protected by the Roman soldiers living in forts alongside it. The wall is 120 km long and was the furthest frontier of the Roman Empire, apart for the short time that the Romans occupied the Antonine Wall.

Historians believe the original plan was to build a wall of stone or turf, fronted by a wide, deep ditch. The wall would feature a guarded gate every mile, with two observation towers in between each gate. Ultimately, 14 forts were added to the wall, and were augmented by an “earthwork” known as the Vallum to the south.

A view of Hadrian's Wall showing its length and height. The upright stones on top of it are modern, to deter people from walking on it. Hadrian's Wall Path generally runs close along the wall. Almost all the standing masonry of the wall was removed in early modern times and used for local roads and farmhouses. [ 4 ]