Hadrian's Wall
Following in the wake of the increasingly popular scale set by King and Country of 1/30th, a section of Hadrian's Wall and a Watch Tower have been produced to compliment their range of figures. The watchtower has a footprint of 47cm and would have been home to between six and eight troops. The turret is based on the classic footprint of the turrets found along the wall, specifically that of turret 18a Wallhouses East. First excavated in 1931 and so well preserved that the ladder platform was intact. Above this any detail is conjectural but based on other buildings and details from contemporary sources the model is as accurate as possible.
The wall sections can be used individually but a pair or more used together with the tower form an impressive backdrop to a collection of Roman figures. It is planned that there will be further additions to this section of the range. For example a Mile Fort with gate will shortly be announced again compatible with the wall sections.
The Romans first invaded Britain in 55B.C under Julius Caesar but it was not until almost a century later in 43 A.D, during the reign of the Emperor Claudius that the full scale Roman conquest and occupation of Britain really began.By A.D 70 a powerful army led by the Roman Governor of Britain Julius Agricola, had captured most of southern Britain and advanced into the northern part of our country. Here they defeated two great Celtic tribes, the Brigantes at Scotch Corner to the south of the Tees and the Picts at the Battle of Mons Grapius in Caledonia.Victory over the Picts was not difficult for the might of the Roman army, but the wild mountainous terrain of Caledonia made the total subjugation of this remote Higland people a formidable and rather unprofitable task. When the Roman Emperor Hadrian visited Britain in 122 A.D he recognised the difficulties in establishing control in Caledonia and saw that it would be impossible to introduce the Picts to the Roman way of life. The Emperor therefore ordered the construction of a great defensive wall which would mark the northern limits of his empire and consolidate the hold on those parts of Britain already subdued. Hadrian's empire would not include Caledonia.
Mile Fort in development see work in progress.