Hadrian's Wall Hadrian's Wall was built in AD122 on the orders of the Roman Emperor Hadrian, and stretched from the East to West coasts of Britain, from Bowness on Solway in the West to Wallsend in the East. hen building the Wall, the Romans made use of the rugged landscape of Northumberland for defensive purposes, and the fact that the countryside has changed little since those times helps to transport the visitor back to those far-off days. In its heyday, Hadrian's Wall was garrisoned by thousands of troops, who watched over the northern horizon from turrets and mile castles placed at regular intervals along the Wall, and lived in a series of more substantial forts at strategic locations. Several of these forts are open to the visitor today, featuring substantial remains and museums and visitor centres of differing sizes and styles, giving an insight into the life lived by a soldier on Rome's northern frontier