As English Tour Week unfolds and World Heritage Day approaches the much talked about HW1900 festival announces a new batch of exciting events including a 1900th Beer, a Roman Camp Enactment, Adventure Quests and an After Dark Festival.
With activities celebrating life on the Wall from Roman times to the present day, this yearlong festival promises to whisk you back in time and celebrate 1900 years since the building of Hadrian’s Wall and this Easter is no exception.
A packed and ever-growing year-long programme is unfolding each month, with a diverse offer that’s been developed by communities, attractions, and organisations along the Wall.
Highlights for March & April include a Roman Beer launched by Twice Brewed at Newcastle Beer Festival using similar ingredients to what would have been available 1900 years ago; step into history every day of the Easter Holidays with family Adventure Quests at Chester’s Roman Fort and Birdoswald Roman Fort; a Roman Camp at Vindolanda with the Eighth Legion; and a not to be missed exhibition The Edwardian Discovery of Coria at Corbridge Roman Town, which tells the stories of the local labourers who worked hard to uncover the remains of the most northerly Town in Roman Britain during excavations between 1906 and 1914.
Also on offer is an immersive audio experience from BBC Radio 3’s After Dark Festival at Sage Gateshead, with five different podcasts recorded by award-winning composer and sound artist Rob Mackay at five locations where remains of Hadrian’s Wall can be found in Newcastle. Visitors are encouraged to visit those locations and listen to the rich audio landscape complemented by the words of writers and poets as they respond to the sounds of Tyne.
Sticking with the night theme is the Northumberland Dark Skies exhibition at The Sill – this free family focussed exhibition includes a gallery of night-time landscape photography, displays on what to see in the night sky and how to conserve our dark skies, complete with hands-on activities and a showcase of telescopes and meteorites.
Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Festival launched on Hadrian’s birthday on Monday 24 January 2022, and the yearlong programme will culminate with Saturnalia on 17-23 December 2022. Individuals, groups, venues and organisations along the length of the wall are being encouraged to get involved and be part of this incredible year by visiting https://1900.hadrianswallcountry.co.uk/ and submitting their own activities to the programme!
Jane, Lady Gibson, Chair of Hadrian’s Wall Partnership said: “It is fantastic to be able to welcome visitors to Hadrian’s Wall this Easter as we celebrate this world-renowned heritage site. It’s even more special that there are so many different activities on offer that will appeal to so many people. This Spring snapshot of upcoming activity is reflective of what is to come throughout the year and we urge everyone to keep checking the website as we add more events.”
The HW1900 Festival programme to date is available to view at https://1900.hadrianswallcountry.co.uk/
English Tourism Week – Friday 18 – Sunday 27 March 2022
World Heritage Day – Monday 18th April
With more than 150 events and activities registered to date here is a preview of just a few coming up…
NORTHUMBERLAND DARK SKIES EXHIBITION: 19 February – 2 May 2022
The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre
DELIVERED BY: North Yorkshire National Park
The free exhibition is aimed at families with children (8 years +) and beginners with little or no knowledge of astronomy. The exhibition will include: a gallery of night-time landscape photography, displays on what to see in the night sky and how to conserve our dark skies, hands-on activities and a showcase of telescopes and meteorites on display.
UNCOVERING ROMAN CARLISLE: 5 March –12 June 2022
Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery, Castle Street, Carlisle
DELIVERED BY: Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery
The stories behind the community excavation of Carlisle’s Roman bathhouse.In 2017 archaeological investigators discovered the remains of a 3rd century Roman bathhouse at Carlisle Cricket Club, near Stanwix, the largest fort on Hadrian’s Wall. This discovery inspired an 18-month programme, inviting the local community to come and excavate the site. This new exhibition documents the excavation and explores the exciting discoveries told by the people who found them.
OUR HADRIAN’S WALL: 5 March – 12 June 2022
Tullie House Museum and Gardens
DELIVERED BY: Tullie House Museum and Gardens
As part of wall wide celebrations of the 1900th anniversary of Hadrian’s Wall, a new photography exhibition of works submitted by members of the public will explore what The Wall means to people in 2022.
THE LIVING WALL AND HADRIAN’S WALL WALK: 20 – 27 March 2022
The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre
DELIVERED BY: Northumberland National Park Authority
As part of Tyne Valley Film Festival, Northumberland National Park Authority present a screening of The Living Wall at The Sill: National Landscape Discovery Centre followed by a guided walk along part of Hadrian’s Wall, led by Northumberland National Park Historic Environment Officer, Chris Jones.
THE SOUNDS OF TYNE: 21 – 25 March 2022
DELIVERED BY BBC Radio 3
An immersive audio experience from Radio 3’s After Dark festival at Sage Gateshead. Five different podcasts are being recorded by award-winning composer and sound artist Rob Mackay at five locations where remains of Hadrian’s Wall can be found in Newcastle. A rich audio landscape complemented by the words of writers and poets as they respond to the sounds of Tyne. Available to listen again online from BBC website and apps.
TO THE EDGES OF THE EMPIRE- Celebrating 1900 years of Hadrian’s Wall.: 5 March – 12 June 2022
Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery
DELIVERED BY: Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery
Marking 1900 years since the commencement of the building of Hadrian’s Wall in AD122 a brand-new exhibition, To the Edges of Empire, will feature beautiful and important objects to explore the role of locations and people across the Roman Empire during Hadrian’s reign.
HADRIAN’S WALL VIRTUAL FOCUS DAY- a day of virtual activities themed around Hadrian’s Wall to celebrate the Hadrian’s Wall: 25 March 2022
Virtual
DELIVERED BY: Great North Museum
Join Hadrian’s Wall Learning and Engagement Forum for a day of virtual activities themed around Hadrian’s Wall to celebrate the Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Festival.
Take part in live workshops, discover more about the various sites across the Wall and submit your questions for one of our experts to answer!
THE LOST FORT- Discover more about the ‘ lost fort’ in South Shields: 28 March –2 October 2022
Arbeia
DELIVERED BY: Arbeia, South Shields Roman Fort
There is tantalising evidence of a Hadrianic period fort in South Shields that predates the Antonine fort of Arbeia. This small exhibition will explore what we know and don’t know about this ‘lost’ fort that controlled sea and river access to the Roman frontier.
VINDOLANDA EXCAVATIONS 2022 – 2022 will unearth the amazing remains of lives lived at Vindolanda Roman Fort: 28 March – 23 September 2022
Monday – Friday 10am-4pm
DELIVERED BY: Vindolanda Charitable Trust
Vindolanda Excavations 2022 will unearth the amazing remains of lives lived at Vindolanda Roman Fort. Stand at the trench edge and see history uncovered, question the archaeologists, see artefacts emerge from the ground and learn about the people who lived here, through the objects and buildings they have left behind.
EXTRAORDINARY EXPLORATION – The Edwardian Discovery of Coria: 1 April – 31 October 2022
Corbridge Roman Town
DELIVERED BY: English Heritage
A don’t miss exhibition for HW1900: Between 1906 and 1914 excavations at Corbridge uncovered the well-preserved remains of the most northerly Town in Roman Britain. Most of the labourers who did the work were local and almost entirely anonymous. To mark the 1900 anniversary celebrations of Hadrian’ Wall, research has been trying to identify these men from the wonderful collection of photographs from the excavation. The exhibition will explore both the discovery of the site, and the story of the local labourers who worked hard to uncover the site’s secrets.
EASTER ROMAN ADVENTURE QUESTS – Crack the clues as you explore our outdoor trail around the Roman ruins: 2–24 April 2022
Chesters Roman Fort and Birdoswald Roman Fort
DELIVERED BY: English Heritage
Join English Heritage on a legendary quest this Easter holiday. Crack the clues as you explore outdoor trails around the Roman ruins.
ROMAN BEER: 6th April Beer Launch at Newcastle Beer Festival
Launching in cask on 6th April, then available in cask until it runs out.
DELIVERED BY Twice Brewed
To coincide with the 1900 years celebrations of Hadrian’s Wall Twice Brewed have decided to brew a Roman themed beer. The idea being, if you could transport our brew kit back 1900 years what could have we brewed. Using similar ingredients to what they would have had available at the time. The answer is a low strength beer, brewed with half and half barley and wheat, no hops, but instead local botanicals and a touch of honey, fermented with Belgian yeast (a nod of appreciation to Atrectus, the Belgium born brewer based at Vindolanda).
THE EIGHTH LEGION: 9 April – 10 April 2022
DELIVERED BY Vindolanda Trust
Returning to Vindolanda the Eighth Legion will bring the Roman times back to life. You will be able to see your name being written in Roman cursive script and find out about Roman surveying and engineering. There will be two torsion artillery machines on display, which will be demonstrated in use as well as displays with the soldiers.
HALTWHISTLE WALKING FESTIVAL – The walking Festival that is ‘more than just a walk’: 23 April –2 May 2022
DELIVERED BY: Haltwhistle Walking Festival
Whether you enjoy a relaxing walk or striding out on Hadrian’s Wall, Haltwhistle Walking Festival is ‘more than just a walk’. Talented leaders will entertain you with their ‘Did
You Knows’ and a number of Wall-related events.
FALX MANGA SERIES BY ROMY – A manga (Japanese graphic novel) set on Hadrian’s Wall: Throughout 2022
DELIVERED BY: Romy
In the first half of the second century A.D., a Roman soldier stationed at Hadrian’s Wall in northern Britannia meets a poorly-dressed boy. Follow the story as it explores the idea of “What was it like to live near the Wall 1900 years ago?”. Bring Falx with you on your trip to Hadrian’s Wall in 2022.
HADRIAN’S WALL 1900 SPECIAL EVENT AMATEUR RADIO STATION – A special event Amateur Radio Station transmitting throughout the year: Throughout 2022
10am-4pm on certain weekdays
DELIVERED BY: Austin Vaughan
The station will transmit from various sites including Arbeia Roman Fort in South Shields. A special event Amateur Radio Station will be active on various days during the Hadrian’s Wall 1900 Anniversary, communicating by radio with other amateur radio stations all over the world to tell them all about Hadrian’s Wall 1900.
1900 BUNTING CHALLENGE – An open challenge to create 1900 flags of bunting for HW1900: 24 January 2022 –23 September
DELIVERED BY: Lynne Barbour in collaboration with Vindolanda Charitable Trust
Celebrating Hadrian’s Wall’s 1900th Anniversary, an open challenge is set for everyone to help create by knitting, crocheting or sewing 1900 flags of bunting. Download the design template to get started. The completed designs will be displayed on the replica section of Hadrian’s Wall at Roman Vindolanda.