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Probably this earthen vallum was meant as a defence against an 
enemy coming from the south. One writer, however, supposes 
that the vallum was an earlier defence against incursions from the 
north. The wall always takes the highest points, and the edges 
of the boldest cliffs. At one place it attains a height of 
1,230 feet above sea level. Between the wall and the vallum 
were camps, redoubts, and watch-towers. A watch-tower was 
erected every quarter of a mile. On the south face of the wall, 
at distances of a mile apart, were redoubts or castles. These 
were 60 feet wide and had gates opening to the south, and 
occasional gates to the north for sorties. The most striking 
portions of the works which remain are the 17 castra statina, at 
distances of about four miles apart. These are entrenched 
camps or military cities. They are of quadrangular form, and 
are surrounded by a stone wall about 5 feet thick resting on the 
great wall. One of these camps covers 54 acres. Every camp 
had at least four gateways. Some of the gateways are still in 
good preservation. Between the murus or northern defence and 
the earthen vallum of the south, there ran the military road 
16 feet wide. It was composed of rubble with a convex Surface, 
the centre of which was 12in. to 18in. above the surface of the 
adjoining land. This road may still be seen. Running from 
north to south of Britain were two great lines of road—the 
Mardin Way and Watling Street. These intersected Hadrian’s 
wall, and formed useful means of communication with the 
military stations at York and Lincoln, and with the sea cvast. 
Connected with these main arteries were numerous minor roads— 
the vicinal ways—of which we have specimens in our district. 
The stone used in building the great wall was a quartzoze grit 
obtained from adjacent quarries. These quarries still remain, 
and in some can be seen the names of Roman soldiers, and other 
inscriptions, cut in the face of the rock. The facing stones were 
carefully cut and were about 20in. by 10in. by 8in. Between 
the facing stones the wall was constructed of rubble thoroughly 
mortared. At this day the portions of wall which remain, form 
compact solid masses as firm as rock itself. The top of the wall 
was 11 yards above the bottom of the fosse in front. The age 
of the Antonine Emperors, of whom Hadrian was the greatest, 
marks the high-water mark of the provincial glory of the Roman 
Empire. The wall reached from Wallsend on the east, to near 
Burgh-upon-Sands on the west. In the Blackgate Museum in the 
ancient Castle of Newcastle, is an interesting collection of remains 
taken from the wall. In the ‘‘ Handbook to the Roman Wall,”’ 
by that great authority Dr. Bruce, is to be found an excellent 
description of the history, construction, and uses of the wall. 
A series of views, numbering fifty, was thrown upon the 
screen, and described by Mr. Southern. 
