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16 C O N T E X T 1 7 9 : M A R C H 2 0 2 4 ZINNIE DENBY-MANN Hadrian’s Wall from end to end There may be no better way to get a sense of the wall’s history than to run the 135-kilometre-long footpath, part of the National Trail network, that follows its length. Hadrian’s Wall is the UK’s most iconic Roman monument. Crossing the wild landscape of northern England, its building is a feat that has inspired the imagination for centuries and it is now a Unesco world heritage site. Construction began in around 122 AD, stretching across 80 Roman miles (73 modern miles), from the River Tyne at Wallsend, Newcastle, to the Cumbrian coast at Bowness on Solway, west of Carlisle. The wall was designed with milecastles every Roman mile and turrets spaced every third of a mile in between, with forts added at regular intervals soon after. Possibly it was rendered or limewashed, a dazzling bright white symbol of Roman power cutting through the territories of the native British tribes. Following it to the south is a long, double bank and ditch, known as the Vallum, and to the north is a large ditch. Milecastles and forts were designed with gateways to both the south and north, controlling access through the wall and surrounding landscape. Nineteen centuries after it was built, much is unknown about the wall’s design, function and the people who occupied it. Used by the Romans for nearly 300 years, it was repaired, altered and rebuilt many times. It was gar- risoned by soldiers from across the empire and was finally abandoned by the Romans in 411 AD, when they left Britannia. Day 1, Wallsend to Heddon-on-the-Wall In a moment of madness, I set myself the challenge of running the 135-kilometre-long footpath, part of the National Trail network, which follows the length of the wall. So it was that early on a Sunday morning, I found myself standing in the car park at Segedunum. Located at what is now known as Wallsend, it was once a bustling fort, guarding the eastern end of the wall at its junction with the River Tyne.Today, it is home to a museum and it is one of the most deprived areas of the country. From here the path follows a former railway towards Newcastle city centre before dropping down to the river. A quick look at an historic map shows the industry that has been lost in the area: shipyards, docks, wharves, and works of all shapes and sizes. Through Newcastle city centre the trail follows the quayside rather than the wall itself, which lies to the north. This leads me to contemplate the wall’s regenerative potential. Twenty years after the trail’s creation, it is now perhaps time to create a second path, celebrating the actual route of the wall. Wallsend, at the start of my journey, is the first of many places I will pass through that take their name from the wall. I end the day at another: Heddon-on-the-Wall, the point at which the National Trail and the wall converge. I cannot help but reflect on the differences in the lives of Heddon’s residents, with its luxury golf club and attractive stone-built houses, compared to the deprived communities I have passed through in Newcastle. The wall is part of Heddon’s success story; it should be possible for the same to be true elsewhere. The wall at Heddon- on-the-Wall Saltmarsh and the Solway Firth, with Scotland in the distance.