Northumberland Tourist Guide - Articles
Hadrians Wall
Hadrians Wall snakes across the southern part of Northumberland and is now a World Heritage site which was built in 122 AD under the guidance of Emperor Hadrian. It is some 80 miles long and stretches from the Solway Firth through to the appropriately named Wallsend. Much of the current wall is in Northumberland and is a well visited tourist attraction.
Along its length were various full sized forts many of which can be seen today. One of the more interesting forts can be found at Vindolanda where there is also a museum showcasing the Wall and many of the archaeological finds including the Vindolanda tablets. One of the best preserved forts is at Housesteads where you can visit the Roman Barracks and see some of the earliest known flushing toilets. Housesteads is owned by the National Trust.
There is some intrigue surrounding Hadrians Wall. The popular opinion is that it was the last staging post of the Roman Empire and was built as a defence and others theorise that its sheer size and structure was such to act as a reminder to those north of the Wall that the Romans meant business and were not a force to be meddled with.
Nowadays, as well as the associated history, an excursion to the Wall provides breathtaking scenery through some of England’s most spectacular countryside.
Days Out
Along its length were various full sized forts many of which can be seen today. One of the more interesting forts can be found at Vindolanda where there is also a museum showcasing the Wall and many of the archaeological finds including the Vindolanda tablets. One of the best preserved forts is at Housesteads where you can visit the Roman Barracks and see some of the earliest known flushing toilets. Housesteads is owned by the National Trust.
There is some intrigue surrounding Hadrians Wall. The popular opinion is that it was the last staging post of the Roman Empire and was built as a defence and others theorise that its sheer size and structure was such to act as a reminder to those north of the Wall that the Romans meant business and were not a force to be meddled with.
Nowadays, as well as the associated history, an excursion to the Wall provides breathtaking scenery through some of England’s most spectacular countryside.
Days Out