Hadrian’s Wall: How long did it take to build?
In 122 AD, Roman emperor Hadrian ordered the building of a wall to mark his empire’s British frontier. How long did it take to build Hadrian’s Wall?
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Roman forces conquered much of Britain in the first century AD, but not quite all of it. In fact, much of what is now Scotland eluded Roman military occupation entirely. This was due to the stubborn resistance of Caledonian tribes in this far-flung area of the island.
So, it’s understandable that when Hadrian became Roman emperor in 177 AD, he decided on a change of strategy for the Roman Empire. His biggest priority was to consolidate the empire’s gains rather than expand them.
Hence, he ordered the construction of a lengthy defensive wall along the empire’s northernmost boundary in Britain. How long did it take to build Hadrian’s Wall? Also, what have excavations of the area taught us about life in Roman times?
Why was Hadrian’s Wall built?
Hadrian’s processor on the Roman imperial throne, Trajan, oversaw significant geographical expansion of the empire. According to sandstone fragments dating from a year or two after Hadrian’s accession, the new emperor sought to keep ‘intact the empire’.
Hadrian apparently saw the tribes north of the border as a threat to his dominions in Britain. According to a biography of Hadrian written two centuries later, the emperor built the wall ‘to separate the Romans from the barbarians’.
Hadrian is believed to have given the go-ahead for the wall’s construction in 122 AD. The finished structure ran for 80 Roman miles (73 modern miles) – from Wallsend on the River Tyne to Bowness-on-Solway in the west.
Did barbarians truly lurk north of the border?
Were the Picts – essentially the Caledonians’ successors in Roman-era Scotland – truly barbaric? Sky HISTORY presenter Professor Alice Roberts has dismissed the claim as ‘obviously propaganda’, and believes the Picts have been given unfairly bad press.
In the sixth episode of Digging for Britain’s ninth season, Alice sees artefacts from digs at the Scottish coastal town of Burghead. The area is thought to have been a Pict stronghold, while decorations on the artefacts reveal the Picts to have been culturally sophisticated. It’s a far cry from the image of barbarism painted by the Romans.
Theories about the wall’s construction
How much of a threat did northern Britons really pose to the Romans? It’s difficult to tell precisely, which explains why alternative theories have been put forward for why the wall was built.
The empire’s northernmost areas would have been vulnerable to raiders seeking to steal animals and treasure. The wall would have stopped such attempts at theft in their tracks as well as enabled Roman authorities to tax individuals crossing the border legally.
Upon completion, Hadrian’s Wall towered at least 12 feet high in many places. So, it would have been an imposing sight for natives on either side of the border, reminding them of Roman power. The wall could therefore have acted as an effective propaganda tool, deterring Britons from attempting to either enter or leave the empire illegally.
How long did it take to build the Hadrian’s Wall?
The wall was a pretty ambitious project lined with forts, milecastles and turrets. Still, Hadrian did have a lot of manpower to draw upon. All three Roman legions based in Britain at that time were involved in assembling the wall.
Surviving documentation suggests that Hadrian’s Wall came together over a period of about six years. The building timeline was doubtless tightened up by the ready availability of stone from nearby quarries.
After the Romans left Britain in the 5th century AD, Hadrian’s Wall was abandoned. Many of its stones were plundered and reused to build churches and castles.
Since the 19th century, there have been concerted efforts to preserve what remains of the wall. In 1987, Hadrian’s Wall was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site. As a result, its conservation has been granted an especially prestigious level of legal protection.
Why Hadrian’s Wall remains significant today
Today, Hadrian’s Wall is enduringly popular as a tourist destination. It also continues to offer valuable insights into life on the northern Roman frontier.
On Digging for Britain, Alice Roberts observed a dig at Birdoswald Fort, one of the many Hadrian’s Wall forts managed by conservation charity English Heritage. One of the recovered artefacts she saw was a portable altar she believed implied ‘the transient nature of life’ for workers stationed at the wall.
How long did it take to build the Hadrian’s Wall? Much longer than it takes to subscribe to the Sky HISTORY newsletter – a great way to get free, speedy updates about upcoming historical documentaries.
