A LOTTERY funding boost of £1.3m is to be spent on saving Hadrian's Wall.

Parts of the Roman Wall have deteriorated due to severe weather conditions, wear and tear caused by tourism, damage caused by invasive plants, and erosion by animals.

But now the National Lottery has awarded cash from its Heritage Lottery Fund to Newcastle University for essential studies and maintenance work to be carried out.

The most at-risk sections of the World Heritage Site will be identified by academics at the university's school of history, classics and archaeology.

These will include Roman cemeteries, and the enigmatic earthwork known as the Vallum, which runs parallel to the wall.

The university team will enlist the help of volunteers to assess and prevent the sections from deteriorating beyond repair.

The work will include a 3D survey, using a laser to scan parts of the ancient monument, to understand more about its condition. Conservation work, limited archaeological excavations and geological analysis will also be carried out.

Project leader Prof. Sam Turner said: "This project will give different people interested in the Wall and its landscape the chance to work together.

"We are very excited to have the opportunity - thanks in part to National Lottery players - to take practical steps that will help conserve the wall and better understand our shared heritage."

The three-year initiative will start in 2018 finish in 2021, but it is hoped trained volunteers will continue its work.

Ivor Crowther, head of Heritage Lottery Fund North-East, said: "What stands out about these proposals is Newcastle University's belief that local communities should be central to the management of the area.

"We know that people look after places that they love and with this crucial support from the National Lottery, we hope that there will be a much greater understanding of Hadrian's Wall and the ancient stories and surprises that it continues to throw up."