English Heritage

120sHadrian's Orders

Emperor Hadrian orders the building of the wall that now bears his name, marking Rome's northern frontier. He visits Britain in AD 122 to inspect its progress.

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C 128Ambitious Wall

Hadrian's Wall is completed, with 14 forts and an earthwork known as the Vallum to the south.

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138The Antonine Wall

Hadrian's successor, Antoninus Pius, abandons Hadrian's Wall and moves the frontier further north, where he builds a new wall of turf, the Antonine Wall.

C 158Return to Hadrian's Wall

The Antonine Wall is abandoned and Hadrian's Wall is repaired and becomes the frontier again.

C 180Wall War

Northern tribes cross the Wall into Roman territory and are said to have killed a general and his troops.

Late 2nd-early 3rd CenturiesRenovations

Many milecastle gates are narrowed so that they can only be used by pedestrians. Major repairs are made to the Wall itself.

3rd CenturySurrounding Settlements

Civil settlements ('vici') are set up by camp followers. Urban sprawl spreads well beyond the forts.

Early 5th CenturyEnd of an Era

Activity continues on Hadrian's Wall until the end of Roman Britain.

5th-17th CenturiesBuilding Materials

Hadrian's Wall becomes a quarry for stone to build castles and churches, farms and houses along its line.

18th-19th CenturiesFirst Conservation Efforts

The conservation movement puts a stop to quarrying and seeks to protect the remains of Hadrian's Wall.

1987World Heritage Site

Hadrian's Wall becomes a World Heritage Site.

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