Hadrians Wall

I've been working in the North East of England for the past couple of days, and my preferred route to that area is always M6 to Carlisle and then A69 to Newcastle. I like this route because it's usually very quiet on the roads and scenically beautiful. The M6 goes through the Howgills and the Lake District, whilst the A69 goes through Hadrians Wall country. On my way home today, I decided to call in at Housesteads, the most impressive Roman Fort on the wall.

The weather was pretty grim in that part of the World today, as it often seems to be when I vistit the area, but it was all the more atmospheric for that! What a place for the Romans, on the very edge of their empire.


The granery at Housesteads and Hadrians Wall.


The wall varied in height and strength along it's length, and the Romans often used natural features in the landscape, such as the cliffs here at Steel Rigg. After the Romans left Britain, much of the wall was pulled down and used for other buildings. What is left is probably only about half the original height.

It can be a decent area for birds, but it was a bit quiet today, though there was a nice flock of Fieldfares, a few Snipe, and a few Coal Tits in the woodland around the visitor centre (which was closed).