The Antonine Wall

Antonine Wall

Overview

The Antonine Wall was the most northerly frontier of the Roman Empire nearly 2,000 years ago. It ran for 40 Roman miles (60km) from modern Bo’ness on the Firth of Forth to Old Kilpatrick on the River Clyde. At the time it was built, the wall was the most complex frontier ever constructed by the Roman army.

Built on the orders of the Emperor Antoninus Pius in the years following AD 140, the wall was both a physical barrier and a symbol of the Roman Empire’s power and control.

It was never a stone wall. The Antonine Wall was a turf rampart fronted by a wide and deep ditch. Forts and fortlets along the wall housed the troops stationed at the frontier. They also acted as secure crossing points to control movement north and south. A road known as the Military Way ran behind the rampart, linking the forts.

The Antonine Wall was the last linear frontier built by the Romans. It was only occupied for about a generation before being abandoned in the AD 160s.

World Heritage Management

The Antonine Wall was inscribed by UNESCO in 2008, but not on its own. It joined Hadrian's Wall (inscribed 1987) and the German Limes (inscribed 2005) to collectively form the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site.

The Outstanding Universal Value of the World Heritage Site lies in the survival of the 2nd-century Roman frontier system across Europe, North Africa and the Middle East. This reflects the development and breadth of Roman military architecture and power. The Antonine Wall incorporated many technical and design elements not seen in earlier frontiers, represents a physical manifestation of change in Roman imperial foreign policy, and illustrates technological skill of the army in frontier areas.

Frontiers of the Roman Empire Statement of Outstanding Universal Value

The Antonine Wall is managed and cared for by:

UNESCO requires each World Heritage Site to have a a management plan which sets out a shared framework for the site's conservation, management, and enhancement.

Antonine Wall Management Plan 2014 - 2019

14 March 2016

A framework document mapping out a five-year plan for the management and conservation for the Antonine Wall, part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site.

Visit

Statue of a Roman Soldier's head on the Antonine Wall — Explore public art along the Wall

Children climbing on wooden obstacles at a roman themed play park — The Roman-themed playground at Callendar Park is a great place to take the kids

There is so much to see and do along the Antonine Wall including a range of museums, archaeological sites, and even roman-themed playgrounds. Visit the dedicated Antonine Wall website for more ideas and inspiration for your visit.

Antonine Wall

Antonine Wall: Bearsden Bath House

The best examples of Roman stone structures on the Antonine Wall.

Excavated stone foundations of Roman bath house at Bearsden Bath House.

Antonine Wall: Bar Hill Fort

Bar Hill Fort was one of 16 known forts along the Antonine Wall, which was built across Scotland’s central belt from AD 140.

Low stone walls marking the remains of Roman structures at Bar Hill Fort, set in a grassy area with scattered fallen leaves. The ruins form rectangular outlines, and the surrounding trees have sparse autumn foliage under a bright sky

Antonine Wall: Watling Lodge East and West

See the best-preserved section of the ditch that forms part of the Antonine Wall.

Path running through the Antonine Wall ditch at Watling Lodge surrounded by trees

Antonine Wall: Seabegs Wood

Seabegs Wood features a well-preserved stretch of rampart and ditch, accompanied by a section of the Military Way, situated on an attractive wood.

Aerial view of Seabegs Wood on the Antonine Wall, with green fields, trees, a canal, and a road under a cloudy sky.

Antonine Wall: Dullatur

Stroll along the frontier of the Roman Empire at the site of two Antonine Wall camps.

A grassy field with uneven ground stretches toward a dense autumn‑coloured woodland. In the foreground, an outdoor information panel on a concrete base explains some background to the site and pictures a Roman woman. The landscape is open and quiet, with tufts of grass and small shrubs scattered across the field under an overcast sky.

Antonine Wall: Castlecary

Castlecary fort was one of 16 known forts along the Antonine Wall, which was built across Scotland’s central belt from AD 140.