Wednesday, 03 December 2008

Hadrian's Wall set for £4m lottery windfall

Hadrian's Wall is in line for a £4 million lottery windfall.

pthadwall
Lottery bid: Exciting plans for Hadrian’s Wall site

An education centre to inspire future archaeologists and new galleries to display ancient artifacts at two sites – the Roman Army Museum near Greenhead and Roman Vindolanda near Bardon Mill – is on the cards if the Heritage Lottery Fund gives its full support to the bid.

The Vindolanda Trust, the archaeological charity in charge of the project, also hopes to release a collection of items which have never been displayed before.

Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Limited has heard that its stage one bid for the Heritage Lottery Fund cash has been accepted. It does not guarantee funding but the money is set aside while a full application is submitted.

If successful, the money would pay for the Trust to transform the central section of the wall in Northumberland.

Linda Tuttiett, chief executive of Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd, said: “The close partnership that the Vindolanda Trust and Hadrian’s Wall Heritage forged in preparing this successful Heritage Lottery Fund bid will stand us in good stead for the next phase of this development.

“We intend to make Hadrian’s Wall Country and the Roman Frontier the most exciting heritage destination in the UK.

“This opportunity will enable Vindolanda and the Roman Army Museum to provide world-class interpretation of Britain’s earliest handwriting and the multi-cultural nature of the Roman army in Britain, in addition to the wealth of detailed artifacts describing Roman life in Britain.”

Historian Dan Snow said: “Vindolanda is one of the most important Roman sites in the world.

“Discoveries being made there are scrutinised as avidly in Syria and Libya as they are in Northern England. Yet the first thing the visitor notices there are the vast unexcavated spaces in and around the fort.

“What further treasures will the ground yield? We can be absolutely certain that the story of Vindolanda is not nearly complete.”

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