Illuminating Hadrian's Wall - Heritage Key's visit to the Light Up!

Submitted by Sean Williams on Sun, 03/14/2010 - 16:39

Photographs Hadrian's Wall Light Up I'm sitting on the 15.49 to London Euston from Carlisle. It's boiling hot, the Cumbrian countryside is disappearing behind me and my jumper smells like yesterday's paper. But I'm happy, because we've just hah a hell of a week at the Hadrian's Wall illuminations. I've seen it on the news from my hotel, but I guarantee you it was even better in the flesh: and that's what we'll be recreating in our next Ancient World in London video.

First off, we're all well aware that Hadrian's Wall, just a few minutes from the Scottish border, is not very near London. At all. But there are a number of very good reasons, I think, that make this trip worthwhile for the series.

Firstly, in travelling terms a three-hour journey isn't astronomically huge. In fact in American terms it's positively paultry. Secondly, this event is a once-in-a-lifetime look at one of Britain's greatest ancient monuments. To be fair, it's nearer once-in-250-lifetimes, just so you get the point. Thirdly, while the wall may have been over 300 miles from Londinium, it was a vital outpost for the Romans, keen to preserve their burgeoning British portfolio.

Fourthly and finally, Hadrian's Wall is very much alive in the capital today anyway. Some of its most important artefacts, the Vindolanda Tablets, are actually on show at the British Museum, incredible ancient postcards from the frostbitten frontline. I'm hoping the video will encourage exploration, and get more people hunting for Hadrian's legacy in London.

Was it all a publicity stunt? It's something I'll be exploring

Reasons aside, the trip has been fantastic, and we were all really impressed with the number of people at the event. Thousands visited our spot at Steel Rigg, while similar numbers turned out at Wallsend and Carlisle to see the fanfare of the illuminations begin and end. For me personally it was a chance to see the enormity of the wall – with lights spreading as far as my (admittedly awful) eyes could see, you really got a sense of the achievement the Romans made building it 1,900 years back.

The event marked the 1,600th anniversary of the Romans leaving Britain. But it was also the touchpaper for a whole bunch of events for British Tourism Week. Just a publicity stunt? It's something I'll be putting to organiser Paul Gardner very soon. But from what we saw it was a jubilant celebration of a place deserving of a lot more public interest. As the crowds plodded off into the night, we stopped by for a couple of cockle-warming pints in the local pub – see our Twitter feed for some interesting ancient ales – and toasted not dying on the treacherous footpaths at our hotel.

So here I am now, squirming in the heat of a train I'll be on for another three hours. But having seen the illuminations, there won't be a second I regret the weekend I've just had. Keep checking into Heritage Key for the video – I can promise you it'll be a cracker.

Read 3 comments, or leave your own

About The Author

Sean Williams (follow me: e-mail or

)

Last three pieces by this author:

New York's Met Museum Records Best Attendance since 2001 | Bettany Hughes Publications you Can't go Without | 3,200-year-old Chariot Linchpin 'Proves Ancient Egyptian City in Israel'

Sean is an English Literature graduate, who currently works as a writer and journalist in London. He enjoys ancient history, theatre and sport. He does not enjoy Big Brother.

Comments

that lung nu:

<table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" width="51">
<col width="51" />
<tbody>
<tr height="20">
<td height="20" width="51" class="xl24" style="height: 15.2pt; width: 38pt;">Illuminating Hadrian<a href='http://www.dominateseo.net/customer/index.php?linkwheel-link-wheel-service&cid=236'>'</a>s Wall<br />
This once in a lifetime event will take place on Saturday 13 March 2010 and will follow the route of the 84 mile long Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail. <br />
<br />
Around 500 individual points of light placed at 250 metre intervals will be used to light up<span style="">  </span>the Wall. The first one will be illuminated at a public event at Segedunum Roman Fort at Wallsend in the North East, with the line of light then making its way along the Wall to Bowness-on-Solway in Cumbria over the following hour. As it reaches Carlisle there will be a second public event ‘Welcoming the Light’ to celebrate the light’s arrival and passing through. <br />
<br />
Hundreds of people from across the country and overseas will have the chance to take part in this spectacular event. We are looking to recruit 500 people to help create the line of light from coast to coast. Each of the volunteer ‘Illuminators’ will be responsible for lighting one of the 500 individual points of light along the route of the 84 mile long Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail</td>
</tr>
</tbody>
</table>

Tue, 18-10-2011 01:12

that lung nu:

Tue, 18-10-2011 01:13

north face winter coats:

<p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 12pt;">radiate the vitality of cultural creation, the development of socialist culture with Chinese characteristics on <a href="http://www.northerfacecoats.com/">north face winter coats</a> the road constantly write a new chapter in cultural construction.</span></p>