antonine wall world heritage bid

Once the Roman Empire’s most northern frontier in Britain, the Antonine Wall became the UK’s official nominations for World Heritage Status for 2008. The nomination documentation was submitted to UNESCO in late January 2007. A decision will be made by the World Heritage Committee at its meeting in Canada in July 2008.

The Scottish bid is part of a joint international effort (incorporating sites in Germany, Austria, Slovakia, Poland and Hungary) to nominate the Antonine Wall as an extension of the trans-national Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site which includes Hadrian’s Wall and the Upper Raetian German Limes.

When was the Wall built?

It was built during the years following 142 AD on the orders of the Emperor Antoninus Pius (reigned 138-161) and survived as the north-west frontier of the Roman empire for a generation before being abandoned in the 160s in favour of a return to Hadrian’s Wall.

How long was the Wall?

It stretched for nearly 60 km (40 Roman miles) across the narrow waist of Scotland from Bo’ness on the River Forth to Old Kilpatrick on the River Clyde and consisted of a turf rampart perhaps 3-4 m high fronted by a great ditch.

How was the Wall built?

The material from the ditch was tipped out onto the north side to form a wide, low mound or glacis. Forts were placed along the Wall at approximately 3 km intervals; many had annexes attached to one side. The forts were linked by a road, the Military Way.

In between the forts sometimes lay a fortlet and in addition 3 pairs of expansions, possibly serving as beacon platforms, have been found as well as small enclosures and other features. It was through the gates of these forts and fortlets that many Roman goods passed into the lands of Caledonia beyond. Some of the labour camps used by the soldiers building the Wall are known. Inscriptions demonstrate that the Antonine Wall was built by soldiers of the three legions of Britain, the Second, Sixth and Twentieth. Despite its short life, excavation has revealed a complicated building history for the Antonine Wall.

Who looks after the Wall?

Nearly 8 km of the Wall is in the care of Historic Scotland, including the best surviving stretch of ditch at Watling Lodge, Falkirk; the earthworks of the fort together with the rampart ditch and Military Way at Rough Castle, Bonnybridge; the rampart and ditch in Seabegs Wood, Bonnybridge; the ditch and expansions on Croy Hill; the fort on Bar Hill, Twechar; and the bath-house and latrine at Bearsden.

Several lengths of the Wall are in the ownership of local authorities including: the fort site at Kirkintilloch, the rampart base in New Kilpatrick Cemetery, Bearsden, and Roman Park, Bearsden (East Dunbartonshire Council); the fortlet at Kinneil, Bo’ness, and several lengths of the ditch including Callendar Park (Falkirk Council); Castlecary (North Lanarkshire Council); and the fort-site and rampart base at Duntocher (West Dunbartonshire Council).

Exhibits

Most of the inscriptions from the Antonine Wall are either in the Hunterian Museum, University of Glasgow or the Museum of Scotland in Edinburgh. Other artefacts are on display in Kinneil Museum, Bo’ness and the Auld Kirk Museum, Kirkintilloch.