Ben's trip!

Here are some facts about Hadrian's Wall:

1. Hadrian's Wall was built in AD122 by order of the Emperor Hadrian.

2. It took 3 legions just over 6 years to build.

3. The Wall is 73 miles (or 80 Roman miles) long and is the largest Ancient Monument in northern Europe.

4. It spans England's peninsula between Wallsend, near Newcastle upon Tyne in the east, and Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast.

5. Hadrian's Wall was once 15 feet high and up to 10 feet thick. Today, the surviving masonry of the Wall is only a small part of the visible archaeology.

6. Despite popular stories Hadrian's Wall was not built to keep out the Scots. Historians believe that it actually acted as a form of border or customs post so that the Romans could keep track of population flow between the north and south of Britain.

Hadrian's Wall

Benjamin and Ryan are going to walk along Hadrian's Wall this weekend. Get ready for a little history lesson here: Hadrian was the 14th emperor of Rome. He built a stone and timber fortification to define the Northern frontier of the Roman Empire in England.  (Thanks Google search!) Hadrian's Wall is 84 miles long, one end of England to the other end, and they plan to do it in 4 days. Now you see why I didn't join in on this lovely outdoor excursion. :) He'll be back on Tuesday!