When I knew we were headed to Scotland and I could see how close we would be to Hadrian's Wall, I put that on the list as a "must see".
We drove south from Dunblane on a rainy day, one of the few all rain days, to Carlisle then headed east to Birdoswald Roman Fort.
The visitor center was under construction because we were in the off season by this time, but the grounds were open once we paid our admission.
The wall isn't nearly as high as it once was. Erosion and the scavenging of stone over the millennia have taken a toll.
It still was impressive though.
"For 300 years, from the second to the fifth centuries, Birdoswald was one of 16 forts built as part of the Hadrian's Wall frontier system. Today, its defenses are the best preserved of any along the Wall."
[source: "Birdoswald Roman Fort by Tony Wilmott/English Heritage Guidebooks]
You can see the outlines of the fort.
Part of the fort became this farm/manor house in the late 17th century. There is also evidence that the area was occupied in the Dark Ages after the Romans left.
Huge granary building once occupied this area, elevated off the ground.
A sheep stand on remnants of a wall.
One of the gates with the corners still straight.
The outside of the wall is dressed stone and the interior rubble.
It was worth the trip despite the rain. It is quite an engineering marvel.
The guidebook we purchased (quoted above) was a fascinating read for the history of this place. It's something I'll likely reread too.