The small village of Wall is located in the English shire county of Staffordshire, not too far from the even more historically significant town of Lichfield. Wall is very small, but its significance in the history of the British Isles is probably of greater importance than some large towns.
A view of part of the surrounding area, from the vantage point of Wall.
History has it that Wall was a small but important town during the Roman conquest of Britain, with the village having been a valuable staging post along the main road leading from London - Londinium - and the more northernly Roman settlements. The Roman antecedent of Wall - Letocetum - is believed to have been settled by the Romans in about AD 50, less than 10 years after the Romans landed in London. It is said to have then gradually lost its importance, as the Romans focused their activities more in their larger settlement in the Lichfield area.
Some of the excavated Roman ruins at Wall
The Roman ruins, The Trooper Pub, and the old historic church of ST John's, are probably the most notable public features of Wall. There is also a very small and somewhat quaint Museum situated along the main road, Watling Street. As might have been expected of a small village of this size, there are very few amenities, such as shops, schools, etc, which is not surprising, as there are not enough residents to make some amenities economically viable.
For the residents, having or having access to a car is likely to be a necessity for living in Wall. Of note, also, are some of the large and imposing houses in the village, which might be an indication of the higher income status of some of the residents.
The Trooper Pub seems quite inviting, although, on this occasion, we did not find the invitation irresistible, as we had lunch shortly before we made the journey to Wall.
A view of ST John's Church
As we completed our tour of the notable sites, and took a break in a cool grassy area near the car park, which is equipped with several benches, we saw a coach arrived and stopped, before a dozen or so passengers disembarked and made their way along the Heritage Trail. Apparently to observe the ruins and have a look in the still functional Church of ST John's.
A picture of an artist's impression of how Wall (Letucetum) might have looked like, when it was occupied and settled by the Romans.
If you have never visited Wall, and you find yourself travelling along the A5 between Cannock and Lichfield, you might find it interesting to make a quick look at Wall, to view some of the ruins of what was probably a bustling first century AD settlement.
A photo of some of the ruins at the Wall Roman Site in the village of Wall.
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