A NEW map has been produced to show the complete route of the Roman Antonine Wall – against a backdrop of modern-day central Scotland.
The Wall – which runs from Bo’ness to Old Kilpatrick – was built around 142AD on the orders of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius. It consisted of a turf rampart fronted by a deep ditch, with forts linked by a road called the Military Way. Around a third of the structure runs through the Falkirk Council area.
Many features are still visible today and community leaders feel its new status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site will spark a tourist boom, with people eager to explore its remains and find out more about the area’s Roman heritage.
The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS) produced the map to highlight remains and visible areas of the Wall – as well as less visible features. Information is overlaid on a modern 1: 25000 Ordnance Survey map.
Dr Rebecca Jones of RCAHMS said: “We are delighted to have produced this map to celebrate the Antonine Wall’s new status as a UNESCO World Heritage Site. We look forward to Scots and tourists alike using the map to explore the Wall.”
She added: “The Wall is now part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Sites and has been recognised as historically important as Hadrian’s Wall and the German limes.”
RCAHMS worked with Historic Scotland and local councils, including Falkirk Council, to bid for World Heritage Site status for the Wall.
Falkirk Council’s convener of environment and heritage, Councillor Adrian Mahoney, said: “This new map is an essential resource to anyone wishing to visit the Wall, providing detailed archaeological information and highlighting specific areas of interest, such as the Roman Fort at Rough Castle near the Falkirk Wheel and Roman bathhouse at Bearsden.
“It also gives advice on the best vantage points to see the Wall, and provides photographs of specific features – such as the Fortlet at Kinneil in Bo’ness.
“The map also highlights museums near the Wall such as Callendar House in Falkirk and Kinneil Museum in Bo’ness, which both have excellent interactive exhibitions and artefacts on show. Falkirk district has some of the best parts of the Antonine Wall and we hope this new publication will drive tourists to this area.”
You can also buy copies of the map from the retail areas of Callendar House and Kinneil Museum for £5 a copy. The map is also on sale in all good booksellers. For more details visit the Royal Commission website – http://www.rcahms.gov.uk
* Falkirk Council has also produced a free guide to walks around the Antonine Wall in the Falkirk Council area. Copies are available from museums and other outlets. A guide to the Wall is also online at www.falkirkonline.net/antoninewall
Map cover: Crown Copyright: RCAHMS – used with permission.
Kinneil 