We spent some time on Hadrian’s Wall today, mainly at Housestead. The wall was built when Hadrian became emperor in charge of Britain from AD117. The wall was designed to allow passage from both sides but kept out invading hordes. 84 miles long it stretches across the country from Newcastle Upon Tyne to Carlisle. Housesteads is the best-known fort on Hadrian's Wall and is one of the most iconic sites of the Roman Empire. It was one of the permanent forts added to the Wall around AD 124. Known to the Romans as 'Vercovicium', 'the place of effective fighters', Housesteads was garrisoned by around 1,000 infantry (generally Tungrians from what is now Belgium), later reinforced by Germanic cavalry. While it's in ruins it’s still pretty impressive.
From Housestead we headed north to the Scottish Border. First it was lunch (soup) at a small pub at Ridsdale and then across the border to Jedburgh where we ran into a storm. Enough hail to give the impression that it was snowing.
A bit of shopping at Jedsburgh and then on to the Blackadder Caravan Park in Greenlaw.
