Hadrian's wall

 Extract from The New Travel Book -
North of Watford Gap - John Brown

Well, my friend at Hexam Gaol was spot on, this is the best way to view Hadrian's Wall.

For mile upon mile the road skirts the great stone structure, dipping down into steep valleys, then rising to wonderful summits once protected by impressive forts. It was easy to see why the Emperor chose this natural ridge to watch the fearsome hoards from 'or'e the borda'. My first stop was Brunton Turret. Built by the men of the 20th Legion, it is approx 70 yds long and one of the best preserved turrets on the line of Hadrian's Wall. From here, it was but a short walk, until you had an uninterrupted view across the miles of open country, ensuring advance warning of any unwelcome visitors and certainly you would have had plenty of time for a quick snifter before engaging the enemy. In an age less preoccupied with conservation and more concerned with the day to day hardships of life, the locals have, over the centuries, systematically removed great tracts of the wall to provide shelter for both themselves and their animals. Still there was enough of the fort left to get a clear indication of its size, and very impressive it must have been. The road hugs the wall for mile upon mile, and as you drive along, you begin to realise the enormity of its construction. The average civil engineering company would, I suspect, perform cartwheels if it were awarded a 21st century equivalent. I stopped off at regular intervals along the way, and each new vista seemed just as spectacular as the previous one.