This defensive structure, named after the Roman Emperor Hadrian during whose reign it was begun, was an attempt to protect the northern border of the Roman Empire in Britain against the inhabitants of the unconquered Scotland. It took six years to build, and was 80 miles long, stretching from the fort of Segedunum on the river Tyne in the east, across to the shores of the Solway Firth in the west. Although it probably would have been a relatively inefficient means of guarding this very long and sparsely populated border, it also served as a powerful symbol of the might of the Empire. Much of the wall fell into disrepair after the fall of the Roman civilization, and was used for other construction such as road-building, but a large central section of the wall remains today.

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Citation: Editors, Litencyc. "Hadrian's Wall built". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 31 July 2012 [https://www.litencyc.com/php/stopics.php?rec=true&UID=493, accessed 06 May 2024.]