If this is Tuesday, it must be England #39

In honor of the premiere of Season 2 of Outlander, we're going up to the border this week.

Photo courtesy of British and Irish Walking Holidays, see link below

Hadrian's Wall

Once again, I have to borrow from Wikipedia, they really do word things just right:

Hadrian's Wall was a defensive fortification in Roman Britain. Begun in AD 122, during the rule of emperor Hadrian, it was the first of two fortifications built across Great Britain, the second being the Antonine Wall, lesser known of the two because its physical remains are less evident today.

The wall was the most heavily fortified border in the Empire. In addition to its role as a military fortification, it is thought that many of the gates through the wall would have served as customs posts to allow trade and levy taxation.

A significant portion of the wall still exists, particularly the mid-section, and for much of its length the wall can be followed on foot by Hadrian's Wall Path or by cycle on National Cycle Route 72. It is the most popular tourist attraction in Northern England. It was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987. English Heritage, a government organisation in charge of managing the historic environment of England, describes it as "the most important monument built by the Romans in Britain".

As I searched for a photograph and more information, I was again amazed by the wealth of information available to us on the Internet.  A simple search turned up numerous sites on walking or cycling along Hadrian's Wall.  Hadrian's Wall Path, an 84 mile National Trail, was an intriguing site, as was the National Cycle Route 72, both referenced above in the Wikipedia details.  I also found Discover Adventure's Hadrian's Wall Trekathon, and the blog Love Thy Bike (The plan to battle Hadrian's Wall), which tells the tale of a cyclist's tour.  No doubt there are hundreds of other similar sites.  BBC's History site has a wonderful gallery of many of the key points along the wall, and the National Trust's page on Hadrian's Wall and Housesteads Fort has visitor information on traveling to the site and a delightful place to stay, Housesteads Farm Cottage.

I'm sorry to say that I didn't pay much attention on those few trips I've made from England into Scotland.  No doubt pieces of Hadrian's Wall were evident somewhere but I was, no doubt since I was a teenager at the time the first few times and then sick with a terrible case of Traveler's Tummy the last time I crossed the border, completely oblivious.  I shall remedy that on my next trip (the oblivion, and hopefully any tummy upset as well).