Frontierland

                          Abbie on Hadrian's Wall

As an American I'm used to people referring to the wild West as "the Frontier".  So it was interesting to hear that term used in the English city of Carlisle when people spoke of the nearby border with Scotland.  A border long in dispute, Carlisle is a Northern English city that contains one of the most besieged castles in the country.

                           The Keep at Carlisle Castle

Built around 1092 by William Rufus, the Castle has played an important role in history.  It was the royal palace of David I, a dungeon during the Jacobite rebellion and a prison for Mary Queen of Scots.  It seems she was imprisoned in lots of different places!

                           Inside the Castle grounds

Headed up the stairs to the Battlements and a beautiful view of the countryside

                             Pretending to be Royal!

                              Abbie and The Nana

                            No explanation necessary!

After touring the Castle we headed fourteen miles northeast to Birdoswald and Hadrian's Wall.  Steve Young, an archaeologist friend from Nether Heyford, had recommended this site as one of the best spots to see this ancient Roman wall.

                                     Along the wall

Started in AD 122 during the rule of the Emperor Hadrian, the wall was built to span the width of the northern border of The Empire and protect them from raiders to the North. Or the wall was built to demonstrate the mighty power of Rome.  Theories vary.

                         It was windy up on the wall!

The surrounding hills are lush, and full of cows, sheep and goats.  Oblivious to the historical significance of their pastures, they graze among the stone ruins.  Archaeologists have been working at Birdoswald for years and have uncovered the ruins of one of the Roman forts.  Spaced along the wall to allow for commerce and passage, these forts then became small, self-contained communities over the centuries.

                            Abbie and distant cows

Interestingly enough, the border is still in dispute!  The top story on the BBC Scottish Radio station this weekend has been a renewed effort on the part of the Scottish National Party (SNP) to declare independence.  A million pound bequest by Scotland's former national poet Edwin Morgan has strengthened the SNP war chest to forge ahead with an independence campaign.
"We will work as hard as possible in an unprecedented national campaign to secure the majority 'yes' vote for a sovereign independent Scotland."   Angus Robertson, SNP representative