This film produced by Tyne Tees Television Features looks at the Roman Empire’s impact on the North East and the building of Hadrian’s Wall. The film uses dramatised sections to illustrate the story and interviews schoolchildren and other visitors to the wall for their reactions to the history of the wall and the Romans who lived here. Title: Tyne Tees Television Presents The film shows the sea gently washing over the shoreline. A reading of prose celebrating the sea provides commentary A...

This film produced by Tyne Tees Television Features looks at the Roman Empire’s impact on the North East and the building of Hadrian’s Wall. The film uses dramatised sections to illustrate the story and interviews schoolchildren and other visitors to the wall for their reactions to the history of the wall and the Romans who lived here. Title: Tyne Tees Television Presents The film shows the sea gently washing over the shoreline. A reading of prose celebrating the sea provides commentary A dramatised section follows showing a Roman soldier looking out to sea. Title: The Work of Giants Roman soldiers step out of boats in the shallows and wade to the shore, shouting their battle cries. Boats are hauled ashore. A long trumpet like instrument is sounded by a soldier The Roman soldiers are invading the south coast of England. Provisions are brought ashore. 25000 Roman troops invaded at this point and meet little resistance as they march inland. A banner shows the profile of the emperor Claudius. Each legionary soldier marched inland15 miles a day carrying weapons and tools of his trade. The film shows that any resistance from the poorly organised citizens was quickly quashed by the invaders. Romans used weapons such as javelins, their main purpose was to make enemy shields unwieldy and they discarded them making them vulnerable to the Roman’s shields and swords which were formidable weapons. Roman coins celebrating the emperor Claudius’ victories in Britain were issued, each coin bears the emperor’s profile. The film shows a map of the main Roman settlements linked by new roads. Stone carvings show examples of everyday life in Roman Britain. In the year 122, 80 years after Britain’s invasion, the emperor Hadrian ruled the Roman Empire. Photographs show buildings and statues built throughout the empire by Hadrian. An aerial view shows his most remarkable legacy the wall built across northern England. Aerial views show remains of towers, forts and other structures along the wall. Views show modern day workmen doing renovation work on part of the wall. The film commentary describes the structure of the wall. The film describes the ditch or vallum running a short way from the wall which was patrolled by soldiers and was part of general defences. A visiting group entering the remains of a bath house. The film goes on to show how the Roman Empire began to fragment leading eventually to them leaving some 400 years after invasion. The film shows a model showing the extent of the empire prior to its demise. A lone Roman soldier, a tribune rides a horse as he arrives to do a tour of duty at Hadrian’s Wall. He writes a letter home, this provides a commentary for the film. Current views of heavy engineering on the Tyne contrast drastically with the soldier’s description of the frontier as he saw it. He saw ships on the river, arriving from what is now France and other places to trade. The film shows the current Jarrow ferry as vehicles are driven off, and others drive on. He describes Segedunum and the film shows the entrance to Wallsend shipyard followed by views of local streets where children play. A view of a local street name reads ‘Camp Road’ Another view shows washing being hung to dry across a back lane. Other views show a modern roadway with its traffic and people out shopping. The quayside market near the Tyne bridge is shown next. The Roman tribune describes his version of the quayside market as a place which attracts cutthroats and villains. The film shows modern market traders describing their wares and the bargains to be had. Another view of a modern urban road follows as the Roman soldier describes his journey along a Roman road. A car stops for petrol at Condercum Service Station. A metal plaque on a gate is headed, ‘Condercum Roman Fort Vallum Causeway’, the remains of which lie just beyond the gate. The film goes on to show the remains of Benwell Roman Temple, Condercum dedicated to a minor Celtic god. An ice cream van passes along the nearby suburban road. In another letter the tribune describes the weather and the lack of pay, and the inability to get warm clothes. He goes on to contrast this with a house he visited in the south of the country. The film shows a comfortable house with a mosaic floor and rich food and drink being served. The film then goes back to the tribune on his horse who meets a bugler who has been stationed in the area for 19 years. They walk along a narrow track the bugler leading the soldier’s horse. He is next seen receiving a massage in the bath house. The film the shows him writing his letter on what appears to be a small wax tablet. The soldier delivers dispatches, but the commander of the garrison is somewhat cynical about a communication sent by leaders who have no experience of life at the frontier. The soldier leads his horse in bad weather across moorland. His commentary tells of soldiers manning the wall are leaving or running away. The army has collapsed. He tells of the Roman he killed after he tried to steal his horse. The tribune finds a deserted fort and an old soldier who tells him omens. A woman pleads for food or money, she is driven off then the woman curses him. The soldier is becoming increasingly isolated and his horse is lame. He sees remains of fires on the open moorland. He brandishes his sword as if preparing to fight. The film shows the burning of property and buildings as Saxon invaders take hold. At the time when the Romans were being threatened they used farmers to patrol the wall, while they fought the Saxons further south, but the Saxons held sway and the Empire faded. A view follows of an archaeological excavation in part of York city. An information board is mounted next to a statue of a Roman soldier. The board is in the Yorkshire Museum and reads: ’The Yorkshire Museum. Foundation Stone Laid October 24th 1827 Opened February 2nd 1830’. The film then shows a child’s stone coffin on display with an inscription which says that the child only survived for ten months. The film moves back to South Shields showing remains of a Roman granary. A Syrian merchant married a slave girl here. The girls elaborate tombstone now in a museum tells us that she was originally from what is now Hertfordshire. On moorland near Hadrian’s wall a group of schoolchildren walk towards one of the Roman forts. A guide there describes what are Roman latrines. He also points out other buildings outside the fort where people who sold items to the soldiers, would gather. The guide also points out the remains of a watchtower. The children examine a water tank, the edges of which have been ‘sculpted’ by soldiers sharpening weapons. One of the children speaks to camera giving his opinion of the Romans and their lifestyle and architecture. An American tourist also gives his view of the Romans. Another tourist is fascinated by the location and what the Romans achieved in building such a structure. A workman also marvels at the craftsmanship that made the wall, as he does some remedial work. A woman speaks on camera of similarities between the British empire and the Roman empire. A French visitor notes that the French language has strong roots in Latin. A Malaysian teacher and author appreciates their thoroughness and ‘exactness’. A quote from a Saxon commentator in the 8th century admired their achievement with the wall, but since the end of the Roman occupation he observes that ‘the work of giants is crumbling’. General views show various parts of the wall. A jet plane flies over the moorland and the wall. Aerial views show a crossroads and a village, then the plane follows a straight main road. End Credits: Narrator Lee Peters Cast in order of appearance Centurion Tom Clegg Tribune David Griffin Veteran Dudley Marsh Commander Robert Russell Old Legionary Peter Madden Old Hag Dorothea Phillips Script Robert Tyrell, Janet Woolsey Historical Advisers Dr. Anthony Birley, Dr. R W Davies Highland Cattle by courtesy of Lady Ravensworth Wardrobe Irma May Production Assistant Janet Woolsey Make Up Adrienne Palmer Art Director Malcolm Dawson Camera Unit Fred Thomas, A.R.P.S., Vic Slark, Ray Hole, Fred Crone Film Editors Tommy Tomlinson, Jim Rafferty Produced and Directed By Robert Tyrell Tyne Tees Television Features Production