How long is antonine wall

The impressive segment of ditch at Dullatur. Sign- posted paths are fairly rare but there is always a route to follow the Wall. The Antonine Wall is a hidden gem and a 'must see' for anyone interested in the Romans. Much of the frontier has been destroyed for the Roman engineers were just too efficient. When the Canal, Railway and Motorway builders arrived they could not better their second century counterparts and followed a similar route to their destination destroying much of the heritage as did the house builders attempting to meet the needs of the expanding nineteenth and twentieth century populations.

When completed, the Antonine Wall had forts of varying sizes at 3km intervals. A ditch was dug to the north of the Wall and the space between the Wall and the ditch the berm contained pits with stakes inserted into them. Troubles began again during the fourth century as the Empire faced increasing instability on all frontiers.

Centralised administration of Britain from Rome ended around AD Stretching 36 miles, the wall overlooked the fertile Midland Valley and dominated the neck of Scotland. A British tribe called the Damnonii inhabited this area of Scotland, not to be confused with the Dumnonii tribe in Cornwall.

Each fort consisted of a front-line auxiliary garrison that would have endured a gruelling daily service: long sentry duties, patrols beyond the frontier , maintaining the defences, weapons training and courier services to name just a few expected duties. Forts and Fortlets associated with the Antonine Wall.

The Romans had established a military presence north of the Antonine Wall during the previous century. It was during this campaign that the Roman regional fleet, the Classis Britannica , circumnavigated the British Isles. Roman marching camps have been discovered as far north as Inverness. At this point the ditch is still some 40 feet wide, but only 6 — 8 feet deep. In places, the rampart survives to a height of 4 feet.

Another good viewing point is at New Kilpatrick Cemetery where the stone base of the wall is clearly visible. The well-preserved remains of the bath-house and latrine, built in the 2nd century AD, used to serve a small fort. A number of other, less well — preserved sites exist near Falkirk, where interpretive display panels describe each location for visitors. Roman Sites in Britain Browse our interactive map of Roman Sites in Britain to explore our listing of walls, villas, roads, mines, forts, temples, towns and cities.