Published: 25 January 2007
Nomination of Antonine Wall
The Antonine Wall, connecting the Forth and the Clyde in Scotland, and built in the 2nd Century as the furthest north-west boundary of the Roman Empire, has been put forward by Culture Secretary Tessa Jowell as the UK's latest nomination for World Heritage Site status.
If successful, the Wall will join The Tower of London, Canterbury Cathedral, The Palace of Westminster and the other 24 UK World Heritage Sites.
UNESCO, who are responsible for the scheme, will now examine the proposal and make a final decision next year.
The proposed site is being nominated as an extension to the trans-national Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site which includes Hadrian's Wall and the Upper German Raetian Limes, which was designated in 2005.
The proposed Site extends for a distance of 60 km from the eastern end of the Antonine Wall at the modern town of Bo'ness on the Firth of Forth to Old Kilpatrick on the River Clyde.
The proposed Site includes all the linear elements of the frontier, that is the rampart, ditch and outer mound, and the Military Way where its location is recorded, together with the forts, fortlets, expansions and small enclosures together with civil settlements where known and the temporary camps along the Wall used by the soldiers building the frontier.
The World Heritage Site has been defined in the following way. Along the line of the Wall the southern boundary of the World Heritage Site has been placed 5 m to the south of the rampart and then projected 50 m to the north of this line creating a corridor 50 m wide.
This corridor includes the three main linear features together with other elements that are likely to lie immediately beyond the known archaeology.
The corridor is widened where necessary to include forts, fortlets, the Military Way and other elements of the frontier which are attached to the linear barrier.
Camps, usually placed at some distance from the Wall, are defined separately.
The corridor is also widened to incorporate within the proposed World Heritage Site areas protected through scheduling under the Ancient Monuments and Archaeological Areas Act 1979.
In such circumstances the proposed Site extends to the whole size of the scheduled area except where that area relates to a monument of a different period.
Tessa Jowell said:
"The Antonine Wall is one of the UK's most important Roman monuments and a fascinating part of our European heritage. It is this international dimension that is most exciting to me.
I hope that it will one day encompass remains of the Roman frontiers not only here and in Germany, but also around the rest of Europe, the Mediterranean region of North Africa and the Middle East".
Patricia Ferguson MSP, Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport said:
"The Antonine Wall is significant not only as a visible reminder of one of the most powerful states that the world has ever seen, but also as part of a great network of frontiers which the Roman Empire constructed in order to protect itself.
In Scotland we are fortunate enough to have such tangible links to the country's fascinating history that we are all able to enjoy.
It would be a great honour for the Antonine Wall to be recognised as part of the Frontiers of the Roman Empire World Heritage Site."
Further information
Antonine Wall
Frontiers of the Roman Empire - UNESCO World Heritage Centre
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