Hadrian's Wall is a defensive stone wall built during the rule of Roman Britain under the rule of Emperor Hadrian. It was begun in the year 122 AD and once stretched from the west to the east coast separating England to the south from the tribes of Scotland in the north. Manned forts were built along the wall for defense and patrol. Much of it remains today and can be visited. We visited a rural section at Walltown Crags where there was a small car park, no fences, no entry fee, no other people. Just sheep grazing. You cannot see the wall from the car park but it's not a far walk. Hadrian's Wall was strategically built making it a great place to view the countryside and wide vistas. That is, when it is not too foggy. We also visited Housesteads Roman Fort where you must pay to park and pay to get in. There is a small visitor center and Roman artifacts. I imagine that Housesteads is crammed full of tourists in the summer. I'd recommend Walltown for sure, though on a nice day you could probably hike from one to the other. The views from the wall are said to be amazing. While we could see a ways at Walltown a wicked fast fog moved in by the time we got to Housesteads. We passed the Sycamore Gap twice but could only see it the first time.
Comments