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| The
southern gate house remains. |
The
wall is 80 Roman miles long (117km or 73 modern miles), reaching
from Bowness-on-Solway in the west to Wallsend-on-Tyne in the east.
It stood 15 feet (5.5 metres) high and 7 feet (2 metres) wide, and
took three units of Roman soldiers six years to build.
Building
started around 122AD as part of Hadrian's Wall and it was occupied
by Roman troops for nearly 300 years.
The fort
originally had:-
granaries
a
large basilica (an
aisled exercise hall)
a
hospital
barrack
blocks
commandant’s
house
a
headquarters building
Beyond
the curtain walls lay:-
a parade
ground,
civilian
settlement
and
a graveyard.
Remains
of the granaries and basilica can still be seen today.
Even
after the Roman Empire fell, the buildings were still busy. The
granaries and basilica were used by local chieftains during conflicts
over the border, while the west gatehouse stood until the 16th Century,
used by the farmers who owned the land for defence and storage.
Hadrian's
Wall was designated a World Heritage Site in 1987.
This puts Hadrian's Wall alongside the Taj Mahal, the Great Wall
of China and Stonehenge as one of 721 world treasures.
 |
| A
Roman 'good luck symbol'! |
Along
the wall can be found many carvings and engravings left by the legionaires
and their followers whilst they were stationed on the Wall. Some
of the carvings are of Roman Gods and symbols of worship, while
others are more phallic!
Visiting
Birdoswald
Visitor Centre Opening Times 1st March to 30th November 10-5.30
daily, 7 days a week (reduced hours in Nov)
Birdoswald
Roman Fort
Gilsland,
Brampton
CA8 7DD
Telephone 016977 47602
Fax 016977 47605
E-mail birdoswald@dial.pipex.com
Tell
us about your visit and send us your digital photos of Birdoswald
or other Cumbrian attractions. E-mail them to cumbria@bbc.co.uk
so we can include them for others to enjoy.
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