In the Footsteps of the Emperors

Falkirk's Roman Connections

© RCAHMS

 

Almost 2,000 years ago the Roman army invaded Britain under the Emperor Claudius. It was approximately 35 years later before they managed to penetrate Scotland, and they were never to conquer the northerly areas of Britain.

 

 The area of Falkirk lies on the border of what would have been the most northerly frontier of the Roman Empire, and the most enduring memorial to the Roman presence here is the Antonine Wall, which was built around AD142 Substantial lengths of this remarkable monument can still be seen at various sites in the Falkirk area today.

 

Building The Antonine Wall

The Roman invasion of 'Caledonia' (Scotland) was led by the Roman Governor of 'Britannia' Agricola, who, within 7 years had managed to conquer Southern Britain and penetrate right into the heart of Caledonia. In AD82 he defeated the Picts, led by the warrior Calgacus, at the battle of Mons Graupius, one of the biggest land battles ever fought on Scottish soil. However, the Romans found it difficult to hold onto the Northern areas, and Agricola withdrew to the South before being recalled to Rome.

 

Continuing problems with the Northern 'barbarians' prompted the Emperor Hadrian to visit Britain in AD122, and he ordered a wall to be built to separate the barbarians from the Roman Empire, and to prevent the Picts from raiding Roman settlements in the Southern half of Britain. This wall, known as Hadrian's Wall, was 73 miles long, and stretched from the Tyne to the Solway Firth.

 

However, on the accession of the Emperor Antoninus Pius in AD138, it was decided to once again extend the Northern Frontier, and an order was given to advance into Caledonia. He then ordered another wall to be erected, the Antonine Wall, which was to become the most Northerly frontier of one of the most vast and powerful Empires mankind has ever seen.

 

The Wall Itself

The Antonine Wall is the largest relic of the Roman occupation of Scotland. Built around AD142, on the orders of the Emperor Antoninus Pius, it marked the northern border to the Roman Empire and was constructed as a defence against the northern tribes.

 

It stretched from the Carriden on the Forth to Old Kilpatrick on the Clyde, and was approximately 37 miles long. Unlike the stone-built Hadrian's Wall, the Antonine Wall consisted of a rampant of soil faced with turf, resting on a stone foundation. It originally stood 12 feet high, and was protected on the north side by a V-shaped ditch 40 feet wide and 12 feet deep.

 

South of the wall itself ran a cobbled road – the 'Military Way' – which linked a network of forts that were built along the wall at intervals of approximately 2 miles. These forts acted as barracks for troops who defended the frontier.

 

 

The Antonine Wall was constantly being attacked by the Picts and, by AD160, as the Roman Empire gradually became weaker, the Wall was abandoned as the Roman army retreated to the south.

 

In many places the wall has been built over or lost forever. However, despite the passage of time, substantial lengths of the wall can be seen at various sites within the Falkirk area including Rough Castle, Watling Lodge, Callendar Park and Kinneil.

 

At Seabegs Wood the line of the Antonine Ditch and Wall can be clearly seen running for quarter of a mile to the south of the Fort and Clyde Canal. At this point the ditch is still some 40 feet wide, but only 6–8 feet deep. In places, the rampart survives to a height of 4 feet.

Visiting The Antonine Wall

You can discover the Antonine Wall by following some of the suggested walks |around Bo'ness, Polmont, Falkirk, Camelon and Bonnybridge.