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Hadrians Wall
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In the Beginning...
It started about 420 million years ago when the Laurentian Plate collided with the Avalonian Plate after closing the Iapetus Ocean giving rise to the areas volcanics, giving a sort of suture line from the Solway to Berwick. At the time the area was around the equator…nice thought on a winter's day.
Apart from the Earth doing its own bit nothing much happened till around 15 to 10 thousand years ago, when, after the last Ice Age man appeared. There is evidence of occupation from around 8 to 10 thousand years ago. The retreat of the ice left the foundations of the landscape you see today.
What did the Romans ever do for us?
   
Jump through the ages from the first hunter gatherers after the ice age through history to the day the Romans landed on the South Coast. Being inquisitive they eventually found themselves in the North of England which can happen if you build roads without looking where you are going. In fact the ridge behind the Twice Brewed Inn looking south is Watling Street running via Vindolanda, York and all points to the M25. After a few battles they decided to build a wall. Well why not, nothing else to do at the time.
After a few hundred years they left.
Legends, rape and pillage
   
Then came the age of the Romano British leading to the Dark Ages and people like Arthur and Kai. Some legends place Arthur up here and buried with his knights at Sewingsheilds awaiting the time when he will awake in this countries darkest hour. Must be a heavy sleeper!
Then the Northmen arrived, a people who left their mark in the language and place names of Northumbria as well as in the peasants.
More marks were left in the wars of the roses at a major battle near Hexham, and somewhere in and around this time and onwards into the future them people North of the Border kept coming down for a little pillage etc, and vice versa but Mel Gibson has covered all that.
  
Moving on to Henry VIII and Elizabethan times we find the romantic Reivers 1503 to 1603 and Moss troopers.1604 to today (see The Steel Bonnets by George MacDonald Fraser for more information on Reivers.) The difference was probably political in the borders as Reivers changed to Moss troopers at the turn of the 15C.
Jacobites twice reared their romantic Hollywood heads next, which leads us nicely on to General Wade and the Military road, (B6318 for those with no imagination and a fancy sat.nav.) Wade was in Newcastle and Bonnie Prince Charlie was in Carlisle. The road was bad and he could not get over. By the time they built the road past Twice Brewed he was dead. (Wade not Charlie)
Why "Twice Brewed"?
 
The area was called Twice Brewed before Wade came and before any buildings. It was probably an area with a drovers road between to hills or "brews", nowt to do with beer …sorry! West Twice Brewed was the first Inn at the end of the 15c. Then East Twice Brewed was the Inn after 1776. The present Inn may have been a small coaching stop from early 19c onwards, and has grown in size to meet the demand of discerning tourists who want to visit our tranquil part of Northumbria.
For some reason I have been told to mention Sycamore Gap. A unique situation and a peaceful spot. For some unknown reason Robin Hood in the shape of Kevin Costner and Morgan Freeman (split personality,) came here on the way to Nottingham, (sat nav troubles even then!) and the place now has a second name, Robin Hoods Tree.
There you have it.. 450 million years in a page, so sorry if we have missed anything out. You will have to come and see for yourselves, it's not just Romans!
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