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Some of the best-preserved remains of the Wall run across
the Falkirk Council area from Roughcastle, near Bonnybridge
in the west, to Kinneil at Bo'ness in the east.
"Gaining World Heritage
Site status is a major achievement - and focuses international
attention on our area," said Bo'ness Councillor
Adrian Mahoney, Falkirk Council's Convener of Environment
and Heritage.
"There's no doubt the recognition
by UNESCO's World Heritage Committee will attract
more tourists to the area, keen to find out more about
our Roman history which can only help our local economy,
particularly hotels, restaurants and tourist facilities.
"We only have to look at
northern England and see how Hadrian's Wall has helped
to boost the profile and fortunes of that area. Hopefully,
the Antonine Wall will do the same for central Scotland."
The
Wall was built by the Emperor Antoninus Pius to hold
back Caledonian tribes from invading southern Scotland,
then under Roman rule. Unlike the stone-built Hadrian's
Wall, the Antonine Wall consisted of a rampart of
soil, faced with turf, resting on a stone foundation.
It stood 12 feet high, and was protected on the north
side by a wide, deep V-shaped ditch. It was abandoned
around AD 160, when the Romans retreated to Hadrian's
Wall.
Today, many parts of the Antonine
Wall lie under towns and settlements, built long after
the Romans departed Scotland. However, evidence of
the wall's ramparts and buildings can still be found.
Councillor Mahoney said:"
The Falkirk area is fortunate in having a number of
highly visible parts of the Antonine Wall. As well
as the remains of a fortlet at Kinneil, Bo'ness, and
a fort at Roughcastle, near Bonnybridge, the wall
can also be seen at Polmont Woods; Watling Lodge,
Tamfourhill (near the Falkirk Wheel), Callendar Park
in Falkirk; and Seabegs Woods, near Bonnybridge. We
also have free exhibitions on the Romans in our museums,
Callendar House, Falkirk, and Kinneil in Bo'ness.
"Of course, it's also important
that we work with partners to preserve and look after
the parts of the Antonine Wall which remain. Over
hundreds of years parts of the wall have disappeared.
It's now our responsibility to look after this very
important structure and preserve this important piece
of world history for future generations. After all,
this isn't just any Roman artefact - it's a World
Heritage Site . . . and we're delighted to have that
status." |