The Wall is a colossal fortification which stretches for 300 miles along the northern border of the Seven Kingdoms, defending the realm from the wildlings who live beyond. The Wall is reported to be over 700 feet tall and is made of solid ice. It was reportedly constructed using both magic and mundane means some eight millennia ago in the aftermath of the Long Night to defend the realm against the White Walkers who reportedly dwell in the uppermost north, although the White Walkers are now only considered to be mythical.
The Wall is defended and held by the Sworn Brothers of the Night's Watch. Once an honorable institution, by the time of the War of the Five Kings the Watch has fallen on hard times. It has become grievously under-strength, numbering less than a thousand men, an all-time low for the Night's Watch. While once great glory and honor was to be had in the Watch, in the present day it is often seen as a glorified penal colony.
The Wall, as seen from the south, with Castle Black visible in the distance.
Of the nineteen castles along the Wall, only three are currently manned.
The headquarters of the Watch is Castle Black, located in the shadow of the Wall at the northern end of the Kingsroad.[1] Eastwatch, located at the eastern end of the Wall, serves as the main port and resupply post for the Night's Watch. The Shadow Tower at the western end of the Wall is the only other manned castle.[2] Among the abandoned castles along the length of the Wall are the Nightfort and Deep Lake.[3][4] The region south of the Wall is called the Gift and is also controlled by the Night's Watch.[5]
In the past, the Night's Watch would send men out every morning to the north side of the Wall to cut down any trees growing within one mile of the structure, so the wildlings couldn't use any natural cover to approach the base of the Wall undetected. With the ranks of the Night's Watch drastically diminishing over the years, however, many of the areas between the three forts that are still manned have tall trees growing right up to the base of the Wall.[6]
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