Trail-blazers light up Hadrian’s Wall
Published at 09:36, Friday, 27 November 2009
HADRIAN’S Wall visitors will have a truly illuminating experience when the entire 84-mile length of the historic landmark is lit up for one night only.
The ambitious plan is to place 500 individual gas lights at 250 metre intervals along the Hadrian’s Wall National Trail.
It is expected that the spectacular event will attract visitors from all over the world, leading to an extra £1million in visitor spending.
On Saturday, March 13, the first light will be illuminated at Segedunum, in Wallsend, on the east coast, with lights subsequently being illuminated across Northumberland, before the final light is lit in Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast.
A camera crew will follow the line of light in a helicopter as it makes its way from coast to coast and the pictures will be beamed to giant screens at two major events in the North-East and at an event in Carlisle.
A number of stewarded points will be open for visitors to view the lights at different locations along Hadrian’s Wall.
Each light will last for approximately 90 minutes, and it is expected that all 500 will be alight simultaneously for around 20 minutes.
Illuminating Hadrian’s Wall is an ambitious project, led by Hexham-based Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd, and will coincide with British Tourism Week 2010.
Hadrian’s Wall Heritage’s chief executive, Linda Tuttiett, said: “In partnership with local people, we wanted to do something really quite extraordinary to bring to life Britain’s longest and greatest piece of heritage, and celebrate the landscape of Hadrian’s Wall Country.
“What could be more spectacular than a line of light that will stretch from coast to coast illuminating this stunning World Heritage Site?”
The lights will be strategically placed at the 250 metre intervals to represent each milecastle and turret that were initially built along the Wall.
The Romans built fortlets, known as milecastles, along the landmark at intervals of one Roman mile and, between each milecastle, were a series of turrets.
The location of the lights will highlight where all of the fortlets and turrets were built, with an additional illumination between each of them.
The event is being produced by John Farquhar-Smith, who was the technical director for the eight minute ‘torch handover ceremony’ for London 2012 at the closing of the Beijing 2008 Olympics.
He said: “I’m delighted to be directing this extraordinary event. It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a line of light stretching from one side of England to the other.
“Our aim is to capture the public’s imagination with an event that will show the immense scale and beauty of Hadrian’s Wall and the countryside, villages, towns and cities that it runs through.
“It will be a celebration of a truly iconic piece of world heritage.”
The illumination project forms part of a programme of festivals and events developed by culture10 and the Lakes Alive programme.
Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk
