What is the Hadrian Wall?

Hadrian Wall was a frontier that began to be built in 122 AD by Roman Emperor Hadrian. It is located in northern Great Britain. It stretched for 120 km, was 15 feet high and 10 feet wide. It ran from Wallsend to Bowness-on-Solway in the west to the Tyne River near Newcastle in the east. It was established to prevent military raids on Roman Britain by the Pictish tribe in the north, to improve economic stability and provide peaceful conditions in Britain. It is thought that the gates of the wall would also have served as customs posts to allow trade taxation. A significant portion of the wall still exists. One of the most popular tourist attraction in northern England, it was made a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 1987.