Hadrian's Wall
Running 73 miles (117 km) from Wallsend on the River Tyne in the east to Bowness-on-Solway in the west, this stone barrier crosses Britain at its narrowest point — the frontier Emperor Hadrian ordered built in AD 122. Ditches ran in front and behind; a chain of large forts, smaller milecastles and intermediate turrets garrisoned the whole line. The gates through which people and goods passed may also have doubled as customs posts. Much of the wall stands far lower than it once did, but it remains the largest Roman monument in Britain, inscribed as a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. Step inside any milecastle or turret and you step into a story that archaeologists have painstakingly dug back into the light.
United Kingdom · 60 The overlooked corners inside
The overlooked corners inside
Birdoswald Roman Fort
You are standing on a triangular promontory with sheer drops on three sides, the River Irthing sweeping below in a wide bend, cliffs falling away to the south and east. The Romans called this place Banna — a Celtic word for 'peak' or 'horn' — and the landscape is still the name. Birdoswald, on the western stretch of Hadrian's Wall, is the best-preserved of the sixteen forts along the Wall, and it keeps the longest surviving section of wall still standing. From around AD 126 to AD 400, auxiliary units including the First Cohort of Aelian Dacians (Cohors I Aelia Dacorum) were stationed here.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Segedunum Roman Fort, Wallsend
Segedunum is the eastern anchor of Hadrian's Wall, at Wallsend on the River Tyne — a town whose very name records what once stood here. Built around AD 122, the fort measured 453 by 393 feet (138 by 120 m), covering 4.1 acres, with double gates on each side, a ditch and earthwork perimeter, and a wall extending south-east from the corner to the riverbank, using the Tyne itself as the final section of the frontier.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall in Wall Mile 0: two sections between Sharpe Road and The Avenue
Between Sharpe Road and The Avenue in Wallsend, two sections of the Wall survive above ground after the line passes through the modern urban grid. Courses of neatly laid stone built to the original 'Broad Wall' specification — about 10 feet (3 m) wide — give the clearest direct evidence of Roman construction technique in this area.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall and vallum in Wall Mile 66, Stanwix Bank to Stainton
This stretch in Wall Mile 66, running from Stanwix Bank to Stainton west of Carlisle, preserves both the Wall and the vallum to its south. The vallum — a broad earthwork ditch cut around AD 130, nominally 20 feet (6 m) wide and 10 feet (3 m) deep with banks on either side — demarcated the military exclusion zone along the Wall's southern edge.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall in Wall Mile 5: sections in the playing field of Rutherford School
Wall Mile 5 carries sections of Hadrian's Wall beneath the playing field of a school in the western suburbs of Newcastle. The masonry lies at or just below the surface; it is a Scheduled Monument — protected by law and not to be disturbed. Sections like this, swallowed by the modern city, are the most common evidence that the Wall once stretched unbroken from sea to sea.
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall vallum in Wall Mile 6, Benwell: section in the grounds of St Cuthbert's School
A length of the vallum ditch that ran along the south side of Hadrian's Wall survives in t… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Condercum Roman Fort, Benwell
Condercum — from a Celtic root meaning 'lookout place' or 'place of outlook' — sits on the… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall vallum in Wall Mile 7, Benwell: section in the grounds of Benwell Hill Cricket Club
A section of the vallum ditch — Hadrian's Wall's broad southern earthwork, added around AD… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall in Wall Mile 7, Scotswood: section in the grounds of Benwell Hill Cricket Club
A section of the Wall itself survives inside Benwell Hill Cricket Club in Wall Mile 7, alo… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall and vallum in Wall Mile 7, Scotswood: section from Denton Road to Denton Dene
From Denton Road to the edge of Denton Dene in Wall Mile 7, a length of both the Wall and… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Denton Hall Turret (Turret 7B) and adjacent Wall section
Denton Hall Turret (Turret 7B) is the easternmost turret on Hadrian's Wall that still has… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: english-heritage.org.uk · en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall vallum in Wall Mile 7, Scotswood: 75-metre section at Denton Dene
A 75-metre length of the vallum ditch survives at Denton Dene in Wall Mile 7, making it on… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall in Wall Mile 7, Scotswood: section in the garden of West Road Methodist Chapel
A section of the Wall survives tucked inside the garden of a Methodist chapel on West Road… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall in Wall Mile 0: section between Eastfield Avenue and Tumulus Avenue
A protected section of the Wall in Wall Mile 0, between Eastfield Avenue and Tumulus Avenu… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall in Wall Mile 1: three sections between Stotts Road and Vauxhall Road
Three separate sections of the Wall survive in Wall Mile 1, between Stotts Road and Vauxha… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall in Wall Mile 2, Byker: section and presumed site of Milecastle 3 at Shields Road West
A section of the Wall in Wall Mile 2 at Shields Road West, Byker, also marks the presumed… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall in Wall Mile 2, Walker: section under the forecourt of the Fosse public house
A section of the Wall in Walker, Wall Mile 2, lies under the car park forecourt of a pub c… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall in Wall Mile 2, Walker: 171-metre section across Millers Dene playing field
A 171-metre section of the Wall crosses the Millers Dene playing field in Wall Mile 2, Wal… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall in Wall Mile 2, Walker: section near the junction of Fossway and Shields Road
A section of the Wall in Walker survives near the junction of Fossway and Shields Road in… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall in Wall Mile 4: sections between Crawhall Road and Jubilee Road
Several sections of the Wall survive in Wall Mile 4 between Crawhall Road and Jubilee Road… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall and vallum in Wall Mile 8, Denton to Blucher
Wall Mile 8, from Denton to Blucher in western Newcastle, carries both the Wall and the va… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall and vallum in Wall Mile 9, Blucher to Dene House
Wall Mile 9, from Blucher to Dene House, carries sections of the Wall and vallum as the fr… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall and vallum in Wall Mile 10, Dene House to Throckley Bank Top
Wall Mile 10, from Dene House to Throckley Bank Top, preserves the Wall and vallum across… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Willowford Roman temporary camp
The Willowford temporary camp sits on the east bank of the River Irthing, right beside the… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: english-heritage.org.uk · hadrianswallcountry.co.uk
Throp Roman Fortlet
Throp Roman Fortlet is one of the rarest things on the Hadrian's Wall landscape: a small m… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: historicengland.org.uk · ancientmonuments.uk
Boomby Lane Roman temporary camps 1 and 2
Boomby Lane Roman temporary camps 1 and 2, near Beaumont in Cumbria, lie close to the west… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: wikidata.org
Hadrian's Wall and vallum in Wall Mile 11, Throckley to East Town House, Heddon-on-the-Wall
Wall Mile 11 runs from Throckley to East Town House on the edge of Heddon-on-the-Wall — a… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall and vallum in Wall Mile 12, East Town House Heddon-on-the-Wall to the A69
Wall Mile 12 carries the Wall and vallum from East Town House at Heddon-on-the-Wall to the… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall in Wall Mile 48, Poltross Burn to the River Irthing
Wall Mile 48, from Poltross Burn to the River Irthing in eastern Cumbria, is one of the be… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: english-heritage.org.uk · en.wikipedia.org
Turret 49B, Birdoswald
Turret 49B stands just west of Birdoswald fort, one of the standard observation posts plac… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Milecastle 0
This may be a milecastle that never existed. The scholar Peter Hill suggested that a Milec… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Milecastle 1 (Stott's Pow)
There is nothing to see here. Milecastle 1 (Stott's Pow) is buried under the Millers Dene… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Milecastle 2 (Walker)
Milecastle 2 (Walker) lies under the junction of the A187 Fossway and Tunstall Avenue in e… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Milecastle 3 (Ouseburn)
Milecastle 3 (Ouseburn) is believed to have stood near the junction of the A187 Byker Brid… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Milecastle 4 (Westgate Road)
Milecastle 4 (Westgate Road) is a puzzle of displacement: its actual remains were found be… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Milecastle 51 (Wall Bowers)
Milecastle 51 (Wall Bowers) sits just west of Birdoswald, at the precise point where the s… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Milecastle 5 (Quarry House)
Milecastle 5 (Quarry House) is the first milecastle west of Pons Aelius fort at Newcastle… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Milecastle 6 (Benwell Grove)
Milecastle 6 (Benwell Grove) has never been precisely located — the whole area is buried u… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Milecastle 35 (Sewingshields)
Milecastle 35 (Sewingshields) is one of the few milecastles on the Wall with stone remains… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Milecastle 42 (Cawfields)
Milecastle 42 (Cawfields) earns a stop on geography alone: it sits on a south-facing slope… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Milecastle 43 (Great Chesters)
Milecastle 43 (Great Chesters) is a milecastle that was erased by what came after it — whe… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Milecastle 46 (Carvoran)
Milecastle 46 (Carvoran) lies north of Carvoran Roman fort (Magnis), just west of where th… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Milecastle 66 (Stanwix Bank)
Milecastle 66 (Stanwix Bank) stood on the north bank of the River Eden at Stanwix in Carli… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Milecastle 63 (Walby West)
Milecastle 63 (Walby West) had a case of mistaken identity until 2000: a 1980 geophysical… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Milecastle 64 (Drawdykes)
Milecastle 64 (Drawdykes) sits on former military camp land, 100 metres west of Brunstock… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Milecastle 68 (Boomby Gill)
Milecastle 68 (Boomby Gill) is a milecastle whose existence rests entirely on calculation… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Milecastle 71 (Wormanby)
Milecastle 71 (Wormanby) lies between Burgh by Sands and Beaumont, south-east of the west… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Hadrian's Wall: milecastles and turrets
Milecastles and turrets are the basic repeating unit of Hadrian's Wall. Milecastles were g… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org · en.wikipedia.org
Leahill Turret (Turret 51B)
Leahill Turret (Turret 51B) is one of the most representative surviving watchtowers on Had… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Turret 48B (Willowford West)
Turret 48B (Willowford West) stands beside Turret 48A on the Willowford stretch, close to… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: english-heritage.org.uk
Peel Gap Tower
Peel Gap Tower is the only one of its kind on Hadrian's Wall: not a planned turret set at… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: penbal.uk · vici.org
Turret 22B (Stanley)
Turret 22B (Stanley) is one of the standard observation posts in Wall Mile 22, positioned… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Turret 33B (Coesike)
Turret 33B (Coesike) stands in Wall Mile 33 in the Coesike area of Northumberland — on the… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Turret 30A (Carrowburgh East)
Turret 30A (Carrowburgh East) is the turret immediately east of Carrawburgh fort (Brocolit… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Turret 47B (Gap)
Turret 47B, known as 'Gap', stands in Wall Mile 47 at a natural gap in the terrain the Wal… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Turret 0B (St Francis)
Turret 0B, known as St Francis after a nearby community centre, is one of the easternmost… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Turret 0A
Turret 0A is one of the easternmost turrets on Hadrian's Wall, close to Segedunum fort at… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Turret 1A
Turret 1A stands in Wall Mile 1, one of the standard observation posts on the first mile o… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Turret 1B
Turret 1B stands in Wall Mile 1, paired with Turret 1A roughly 495 metres to its east — th… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
Turret 2A
Turret 2A stood in Wall Mile 2 in the Byker area — one of the observation posts now buried… 🔒 Unlock the full guide
Sources: en.wikipedia.org
FAQ
What overlooked corners are worth seeing inside Hadrian's Wall?
Birdoswald Roman Fort, Segedunum Roman Fort, Wallsend, Hadrian's Wall in Wall Mile 0: two sections between Sharpe Road and The Avenue and more — 60 spots in all, each with sources and a guide in your language to read or listen to on the spot.
Is the Hadrian's Wall guide free?
The first 5 spots are free to read; the other 55 unlock with a one-time purchase (not a subscription).