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 to defend the realms of man from the wildlings and Others, following the Long Night.

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. Several mentions in the history books suggest that the Wall was originally much smaller, having been built up 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 currently occupied.

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