Tristan Hughes

From atop his walkway, Belliatus can see for miles to his north and south.

He is in a valley, with green fields in front and behind him, and steeping slopes on either side.

He mans a turret that is connected to a large wall that had been there for hundreds of years, stretching from coast to coast, dividing Roman Britain from the lands of barbarians, Adrian's Wall.

For generations, Belliatus' family have been living on this distant frontier, ever since his great-grandfather was posted here from Germania almost a century earlier.

He had gone on to complete his service, marry a local woman, and settle down in the area.

Belliatus' family had stayed here ever since.

The time of Roman rule over Britain had now ended.

Beliates and his comrades were no longer receiving orders from generals further south.

There were no more Roman armies marching north to fight the Picts beyond.

But for Beliates, his family and his comrades living on this frontier, their lives remained largely the same.

Hadrian's Wall had not fallen.

The formidable fortifications of the wall would become new power centres, bastions of strength for the local peoples in this new post-Roman world.

centres of faith and fealty.

This is the story of what happened to Hadrian's Wall and its people after the Romans left Britain.

Our guest is Dr Rob Collins, Professor of Frontier Archaeology at Newcastle University.

Rob, it is such a pleasure to have you back on the podcast.

It's always a pleasure to be on the podcast.

And we're doing it in person for the first time.

I've come up north to see you.

We're near Hadrian's Wall as we speak.