Great Britain is an ancient country. During its existence, this state has survived many wars. In ancient times, when there were no modern weapons for which there were no obstacles, very often walls, ramparts, ditches were erected as defensive fortifications. One of these structures is the Adrian shaft, which was supposed to impede the advance of enemies.
What kind of shaft is this
The wall is called the stone-earthen wall of Hadrian, which is a very powerful, at that time, defensive fortification. It was built by the Romans, many centuries ago. In fact, a long time ago there were two shafts, but the second one is not popular, including because it is poorly preserved. It is called the Antonin rampart and is located a little north. The height of the structure depended directly on the material used for the construction, and the place of construction itself, and the length was originally no less than 120 kilometers. One end of the shaft was built of stones, the other of the earth. The first was 5-6 meters high and three meters wide, the second three and six meters, respectively. Some people for some reason believe that it borders with Scotland and England, but this is not so. If you look at the Adrian Wall on the map, you can clearly see that it does not reach Scotland for about one kilometer, that is, it is located entirely in English territory.
A little history on building the wall of Adrian
The fortification has such a name for the reason that its construction was initiated by order of the emperor Hadrian, who at that time ruled Rome and planned a trip to Britain. The exact date is unknown, but it is believed that it was in 122 AD. The reason for this construction is also unknown. Most likely, they just wanted to create a symbol of the powerful invincible Roman Empire. After all, the state absolutely did not need a defensive structure, since no one posed a threat to it. The economic strengthening did not justify itself, and the rampart could not contain the onslaught of the enemy. It was much easier to attach land to the empire, which would be much cheaper. It is not clear why they built 17 real forts and built two full ramparts, where more than 10 thousand people served.
The further fate of the shaft
With the departure of the Romans from these places, the building collapsed. In the XVIII century a road was built here and most of the wall was simply demolished, since it interfered with construction. John Clayton was the first to pay attention to the remaining Adrian shaft and in the 19th century bought some land under it. Seeing this, the locals stopped tearing apart the remaining stones and taking them away. After some time, these lands became the property of the National Trust, which was engaged in a noble cause - the preservation of historical and natural heritage. And in 2003 here, along the former fortification, a path was opened for backpackers.
Strengthening device Adrian shaft
As we know, strong and massive walls often served as a powerful defense not only of cities, but also of countries against enemy attacks. We also know well about the Great Wall of China, which is the most famous example of such fortifications. So, the British building is a mini-analogue of it. It consisted mainly of stone and peat, stretching east from the western part of the island, resting on the one hand in the Soluya River, and on the other - the Tyne River. Over the entire length, observation towers were installed, quite high. The structure was finished on the outside with brick, and turf on the inside. Also, for added protection, deep ditches were dug in front and behind the shaft. For about 250 years, Adrianov was maintained in good condition, despite the frequent change of owners: he was in possession of either the Romans or the Pict. His fate was already described above, it remains only to report that some parts of the rampart were preserved only because the locals used them as a quarry.
Light show and theater performance at the Adrian shaft
This performance was played for the first time at this fortification on March 13 of this year. This show was completely free. For the first time in approximately 1,600 years of its existence, the construction of the Roman Empire was equipped from beginning to end with floodlights. Creating this show, the organizers did a good job. Tourists saw a completely different Adrian shaft. Great Britain proved once again that it is a great country. First, beautiful angels descended to the rampart (represented by actors from Theater Anu), and after half an hour the first lights began to light. A gradually lit path stretched further west and ended on the coast near Cumbria. For good lighting of a sufficiently large distance, experts installed about 500 floodlights, specially selected for this. They were installed at a distance of 250 meters from each other. It turned out an amazing show. Many of the travelers and tourists at the time were filming the Adrian Wall. The photos were magnificent, but could not fully reflect the beauty of what was happening. To do this, you had to look at it with your own eyes. Especially for the performances of actors and gorgeous fireworks. But nothing, you have such an opportunity - the show will be periodically repeated.