Military Road (Northumberland)

The Military Road is part of the B6318 road in Northumberland, England, which runs from Heddon-on-the-Wall in the east to Greenhead in the west. For much of its length, the Military Road is straight and resembles a Roman road. However, the term "military road" comes from the impetus to build a road suitable for the movement of military equipment and vehicles between Newcastle and Carlisle. This was largely in response to the poor conditions encountered on the road by Hanoverian forces under Field Marshal Wade in 1746 when trying to suppress the Jacobites fighting for Bonnie Prince Charlie in the North. The struggle of the troops under Field Marshal Wade, and his association with other 'Military Roads' in Scotland, is likely to be the source of the claim that he was also responsible for this route. The road runs alongside Hadrian's Wall for much of its length, and long stretches of it are built on the foundations of the wall.