A WILDLIFE and history enthusiast has been offering online guided tours of Hadrian's Wall during the Covid-19 lockdown.

Northumberland Wildlife Trust trustee Ian Jackson, who lives in the Bardon Mill area of the county, has been entertaining wildlife lovers with tours on YouTube after the Government announced a ban on unnecessary travel during the pandemic.

Ian, who usually leads natural history walks in the north of England, combined his lifelong interest in history and nature to make the tour, which is called Hadrian's Hidden Landscape's and is billed as a "virtual Hadrian's Wall hike."

One of the highlights of the tour is Sycamore Gap, next to the wall, near to Crag Lough, Northumberland which became well known when it was featured in the blockbuster film Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves.

In the tour he said: "It (the Sycamore) has become quite famous as a result of the Kevin Costner movie but the tree is beautiful in itself."

Other special features of the landscape are rocks like Whin Sill which is world famous amongst geologists and the home of extremely rare grasslands which Northumberland Wildlife Trust works tirelessly to preserve.

He hopes that once people are given the all clear, they will come to visit the ancient monument and experience the outstanding natural landscape.

Ian, who comes from Carlisle, and went to Carlisle Grammar School, worked for the British Geological Survey for 38 years, including 17 years in Cumbria and Northumberland, before leading national, European and global projects to make geoscience data digital and web-accessible.

Since retiring, Ian has worked as a consultant for international mining and software companies and was science advisor to the BBC for six landscape documentaries.

Northumberland Wildlife Trust is an environmental charity in the region working to safeguard native wildlife.

To view Ian's tour go online to: youtu.be/pPRubmUJ8kU