Hadrian's Wall , also called the Roman Wall, Picts' Wall, or
Vallum Hadriani in Latin, was a defensive fortification in the Roman
province of
Britannia, begun in 122 AD during the reign of the emperor
Hadrian. It ran from the banks of the
River Tyne near the North Sea to the
Solway Firth on the Irish Sea. It had a stone base and a stone wall. There were milecastles with two turrets in between. There was a fort about every five Roman miles. From north to south, the wall comprised a ditch, wall,
military way and
vallum (another ditch with adjoining mounds). It is thought that the milecastles were staffed with static garrisons, whereas the forts had fighting garrisons of infantry and cavalry. In addition to the wall's defensive military role, its gates may have been used as customs posts.