The Wall


The Wall is a massive wall of ice that stretches across the northern border of the Seven Kingdoms, separating it from the wild lands beyond. It extends from the Frostfangs mountain range in the west to the Bay of Seals in the east. It was reputedly created over 8,000 years prior to the present setting by Brandon the Builder after the Long Night to defend the realms of man from the wildlings and Others. Approximately 300 leagues in length and 700 feet in height, the Wall is protected by the Night's Watch and according to some, ancient spells and sorcery. Supposedly, Brandon the Builder had placed his foundations along the heights wherever possible. Several mentions in the text suggest that the Wall was much smaller at the time, having been built upon by the Night's Watch over the centuries to its present size. However, the severely reduced Night's Watch at the present time is limited to maintenance duty. A total of nineteen fortresses have been built along the Wall though only three, The Shadow Tower, Castle Black and Eastwatch-by-the-sea are occupied at the time of the books.

It is wide enough for several mounted knights to ride abreast atop of it. At its peak it is studded with catapults and cranes. The Night's Watch permits the forest to come no closer than half a mile to the Wall.

However between the three inhabited fortresses, the forest has crept back. The Wall is straight from Castle Black to Eastwatch-by-the-sea, but runs like a snake between Castle Black and the Shadow Tower. Source: AWOIAF

The Wall is a massive wall of ice on the northern border of the Seven Kingdoms. According to legends in the series it was made 8000 years ago by Brandon the Builder, in order to protect the Seven Kingdoms from a threat from the north. The Night's Watch guards the wall, but has decreased in numbers in recent times. Of the nineteen castles along the wall only three are manned. At least some of the castles have gates opening to the north. Although wildlings cannot get through the wall some few manage to scale it, or sail around it near the coasts. To the south of the wall is a strip of land known as "the Gift", from which the Night's Watch supports itself. While it does border the North, the Wall and the Gift lands technically have independent and extra-legal status. The Night's Watch has maintained this control for thousands of years to support their guarding of the Wall, and when the Targaryens conquered and unified the Seven Kingdoms they allowed the Night's Watch to continue this control while nominally swearing allegiance to the Targaryen kings. Source: Wikipedia

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