Hadrian's Wall Site Features

Some of the wall's major forts can still be visited today. Housesteads Fort – which is Britain's most intact Roman fort – is one of the main places of interest, along with Birdoswald Fort and Chesters Fort. There is a National Trail that runs along the course of the wall, connecting more than 20 surviving sites. Some of these sites are free, although most are run by English Heritage and have facilities such as cafes, toilets, and museums.

But it wasn't just fortifications that were constructed around the wall. As a major gateway to the Empire, the lands guarded by Hadrian's Wall were important for Britannia's economy. A series of towns sprang up close to the wall, although some existed before the border was built.

Coria – the basis for the modern-day town of Corbridge – is one such town that still stands today. The ruins can still be visited, with the plan of some of the Roman streets still preserved in the Northumberland landscape. In 1964, archaeologists made one of the most important discoveries in British history; the Corbridge Hoard. This find included Roman military equipment and is on display in the Corbridge Roman Town museum.

Although the Romans abandoned Britannia in 410 AD, evidence suggests that Hadrian's Wall was still garrisoned in some fashion. However, over the centuries the wall was gradually abandoned and left in ruins. Stone from the fortifications was repurposed to construct churches and other buildings throughout the region.

Eventually, thanks to efforts from a local clerk named John Clayton and eventually the National Trust, the surviving sections of Hadrian's Wall were protected and preserved as we know them today.

Hadrian's Wall was also categorized as a UNESCO World Heritage site in 1987.