Hadrian's Wall is actually one of three Roman fortifications built to protect Roman lands in occupied Britain during the first century CE. The other two were the Gask Ridge and the Antonine Wall. Hadrian's Wall is best known today because it is the one that remains the most intact and visible.
The Picts and other Scottish tribes were a problem for the Romans, who had not conquered the entire British island. The frequent raids prompted Emperor Hadrian to order a wall built to both mark the border to the Empire and to impose further order to the region.
Location of Hadrian's Wall
Hadrian's Wall crossed the entire island, near the border with Scotland. It started at the fort of Segedunum, now known as the town of Wallsend. There is a museum and excavation site at Segedunum. The wall then stretched 80 Roman miles westward to the Solway Firth. Eighty Roman miles would equal about 74 miles today, or 117 kilometres.
Construction and Size
Construction of the wall began in 122 CE, at the eastern end. It was built across the country by Roman legions stationed along the border. The form and design of the wall is more complicated than a simple "wall". There were guard towers and forts all along the length, usually every mile with signal towers between. Three different legions were involved in the building, which can be seen in the various inscriptions along the length and the building style of the forts.
The wall was built mostly with local stone, but some sections were made of turf due to a lack of nearby stone. There were ditches and berms along most of the length of the wall, to help stem any incoming raids. The exact size of the walls is difficult to determine, given the state of the ruins. It's estimated that the walls were around 12 feet high, though most sections are no longer completely intact. The width of the wall was around 9 feet, depending on the location.
Hadrian's Wall was completed around 130 CE, though more modifications were made over the years after its initial completion.
Conservation of Hadrian's Wall
After the Romans left in around 410 CE, the wall was eventually abandoned and much of the stone was harvested for other building projects.
Conservation of Hadrian's Wall can be attributed mainly to a single man who felt the wall was worth preserving. In the 1830s, John Clayton bought up as much of the land containing the wall remains as he could. On his own, he began to excavate the ruins and reconstruct portions of the wall.
Eventually, the Natural Trust acquired the estate of John Clayton. In 1987, the Wall was declared a World Heritage Site. Today, there are many public excavations and museums along the wall, and a summer walking trail that follows it for nearly the entire length.
Sources:
Wikipedia articles on Hadrian's Wall
The Hadrian's Wall tourist destination home page
The UNESCO World Heritage website
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