h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Thanks again, Bluebottle. I'll be sure to let you know how I get on!

It was something of a surprise to learn that the ditch in front of Hadrians' Wall was located to the south of it, rather than the north, since the ditch is usually on the side attack might be expected from.

This suggests that the purpose of the wall was more to keep people in than to keep them out, the intent more like that of the Berlin Wall than that of the Great Wall of China.

After the initial construction of Hadrians' Wall, a second wall was built about seventy miles to the north of it and subsequently abandoned, perhaps after removing people between the two walls south of Hadrians' Wall.

Are you referring to the Antonine Wall? My understanding is that it was constructed when the Romans pushed further into Scotland but that they then had to fall back.

The Vallum, the wall's ditch, was indeed on the wall's south. It is believed it served mainly to create a 'Roman's only' zone between it and the wall. There were frequent gates along the wall allowing people to travel across, probably on payment of a fee, as the wall divided the territory belonging to the Roman's allies, the Brigantes.
The Antonine Wall was indeed built to Hadrian's Wall's north, but as far as we know, I don't think historians consider that it was ever used as a fence to relocate the population (although that theory is not outside the realm of possibility).

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Excellent article!