Roman Britain – Hadrian’s Wall

This scene transports users to a section of Hadrian’s Wall, a line of defence built along the northmost edge of the Roman Empire, which today is around the border of Scotland and England. The Roman Emperor Hadrian came to power in 117 CE at a time when the Romans no longer wished to expand their territory but instead wanted to protect it. The wall included features such as forts, turrets and milecastles.

# Learning objectives

1: Understand the purpose of Hadrian’s Wall{.info}

2: Understand how soldiers lived when they were defending Hadrian’s Wall{.info}

3: Understand the impact of Hadrian’s Wall{.info}

# What was the purpose of Hadrian’s Wall?{.objective .objective1}

In this section a brief summary is given of the size and location of Hadrian’s wall, and how it was built to protect the Roman Empire along its northern border. Here, students can explore the wall’s structure, paying close attention to the building materials used, and considering why the wall was built here.

# How did soldiers live when they were defending Hadrian’s Wall? {.objective .objective2}

In this section a description is given of the structure of the wall, including its size, surrounding ditches, and the regular forts, milecastles, and turrets built along it. Soldiers would have been housed in the forts, while the milecastles acted as a customs post for those travelling over the border. In this activity students explore the Milecastle and think about what the daily life of a guard at Hadrian’s Wall might have been like.

# What was the impact of Hadrian’s Wall? {.objective .objective3}

A description is given of the significance of the wall in Roman Britain, and how it is still studied by historians today. As a vast and unique structure, it is visited by tourists enjoying the beautiful, rugged landscape it is set in. In this activity students are invited to return to the scene and think about what remains still exist of the wall today, considering it was built almost 2,000 years ago. Why might different people want to visit this site today?

# Teacher Resources

### Download Teacher Notes

[]( https://data.avncloud.com/activities/742471/files/Roman%20Britain+and+Hadrians+Wall+Teacher+Notes.pdf?date=1635504267&size=938136&md5=661fd07a394638caf796f6b1ea930ba0)

### Student Quiz Answers Document

[]( https://data.avncloud.com/activities/792031/files/Roman%20Britain+and+Hadrians+Wall+Teacher+Notes+2.pdf?date=1676026956&size=477603&md5=3d0bb3cb566112cf5158c8a1f9f50d65)

### Download Student Quiz Document

[]( https://data.avncloud.com/activities/792032/files/Roman%20Britain+and+Hadrians+Wall+Teacher+Notes+3.pdf?date=1676027044&size=96648&md5=b367db9ee9bc8956322ca5edbcbac1eb)