EXPERTS at Newcastle University will work with volunteers to help protect and preserve Hadrian’s Wall for the future, thanks to a share of a £2m lottery grant.

The £2m has been allocated to protect the ancient remains of the Roman occupation and has been shared between Hadrian’s Wall and the Antonine Wall in Central Scotland.

Of the grant, £1.17m has been allocated to Hadrian’s Wall for a project which will see experts at Newcastle University work with community volunteers.

A number of locations along Hadrian’s Wall are at risk from modern threats such as severe weather, tourism and invasive plant species.

As part of the Community Archaeology Project (WallCAP), volunteers from along the Wall’s length will be trained in skills such as digital surveying, including terrestrial laser scanning, at various sites to understand more about its condition, as well as conservation and geological work so that they can help prevent further deterioration.

WallCAP will also encourage volunteers to use the latest digital and scientific techniques to track down stones that used to be part of the Wall, but were later built into other structures.

Dr Rob Collins, WallCAP project manager and lecturer in archaeology at Newcastle University, said: “Hadrian’s Wall has been a vital part of our landscape for the past 1,900 years.

“Thanks to funding from the National Lottery, we will be able to better understand the position of the Wall in the current working landscape, and ensure that the monument will be enjoyed by future generations of local communities and visitors.”