Hadrian's Wall at Sunset

We walked another stretch of Hadrian's Wall right around sunset. This led to too many photos.

In the foreground is a more recent quarry that destroyed some of the wall. Behind it to the left is a mile fort. It is that square thing sticking out of the wall and sloping down the hill.

Looking North through the mile fort. Mile forts contained a gate in the wall through which the Romans could sally forth into the Northern wilderness. The fact that they built a fort around each gate may indicate just how wild the wilderness was.

The Northern barrens look cultivated and calm today.

Footholds cut - or kicked - into the sod on one of the steeper climbs along the wall.

Where they could, the wall builders put the wall right on the height of a hill, using the escarpment as additional deterrent.

Looking down on a gate to the North.

To the South, a modern shepherd and his sheep.