Amazing Fences Across the Globe

Fences have both separated and brought people together throughout the history of the world. In the course of that history, there have been many amazing fences constructed. Here a closer look at just a few of these.

THE OLDEST FENCE IN EUROPE

Hadrian’s Wall, also known as the Roman Wall, in Great Britain is a former defensive fortification of the Roman province of Brittania, now modern-day England. Construction of the 73-mile stone wall began in 122 AD under the reign of the emperor Hadrian, along the border between England and Scotland. The wall reached as high as 19 feet in some places and up to 10 feet deep. Multiple forts and observation towers were part of the original construction. A significant portion of the wall still stands and it is the largest Roman archaeological feature in Britain.

GREAT WALL OF CHINA

Perhaps more impressive than Hadrian’s Wall is the Great Wall of China. It took hundreds of years for China to build this wall as protection against various nomadic groups. The defensive system of the Great Wall is generally recognized as one of the most impressive architectural feats in history. Construction began in 600 B.C, and Chinese emperors continued to build it up until the mid-1600s. The entire wall was once more than 13,000 miles long. The wall’s height goes from 15 feet to 39 feet, and some sections are 32 feet thick.

OLDEST FENCE IN NEW YORK CITY

The wrought iron fence surrounding New York City’s original Bowling Green was built in 1771 to protect the property from vandalism. The property is home to a statue of King George III commemorating the British victory of France in the Seven Years War. The fence is still in use today,

LONGEST FENCE STILL IN USE

Do you have six months of free time to just walk around the entire length of a fence? That’s how long you’d need to make a trip around the dingo fence in Southeast Australia. Designed to keep wild dingo dogs away from sheepherding lands, the dingo fence stretches more than 3,000 miles along the edge of Outback. It was built between 1880 and 1885 and is long enough to stretch from New York to London.

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