So it's with a heavy heart that I write about the Illuminating Hadrian's Wall event last night.
I'm sure many people will declare it a resounding success, business along the Wall have reported record numbers of visitors. The Greenhead Hotel served 200 meals yesterday and hope for something similar today and B&B's are full at a time of year when there would normally be very few people about.
People start to gether on Cawfield Crags
One farmer had several dogs running freely amongst his sheep, he would have been well within his rights to shoot them but when he asked owners to put the dogs on a lead he got a torrent of abuse.
People were clambering all over the Wall with no regard at all for this ancient monument. Roads were clogged and people were parking where ever they could, or simply driving along the Military Road looking at the lights along the way.
Mucklebank Crag panorama at sunset, only three burners were lit along this whole stretch
Hundreds of people wait for the illuminations to begin
There were obviously technical problems, so there were big gaps where lights should have been.
Where are all the lights?
What did make me cross was when I saw Roger Clegg's lovely shot looking down from Winshields Crag towards Steel Rigg.
The VIP's were all gathered at Steel Rigg and obviously wanting to make sure they were impressed, twice as many lights were used along the crag there.
I can count 17 burners and no doubt there are more in the 'dunks' how fair is it that people who paid good money to come and view this event get faulty burners and black space while VIP's on a freebie get extra lights.
Even the burner on the highest point of Hadrian's Wall at Winshields Crag seemed to run out of gas after being alight for just 5 minutes.
There was a line of light along the route of Hadrian's Wall but it was car lights in nose to tail traffic.
Some great photographs of the Roman Soldier's at Bowness on Solway firing flaming arrows into the sea, I wish I'd been there!
Hope to be posting on a more positive note later in the week.
I read about this on the BBC. It's shame that the visitors didn't respect the wall or the farmers. It was such a lovely concept but I doubt the farmers will feel like giving permission again.
ReplyDeleteFrom the start ive thought this was a badly organised event, but isnt everything in the north east? Im sorry to hear about all the problems the farmers had, people have no respect and the dogs should never have been off the lead nor should people have veered of the public trails. I had planned on going up to once brewed to view the wall, but after difficulty getting someone to go with me and a car I decided to head to Segedunum.
ReplyDeleteI really wish I hadn't now. No one knew what was going on, people where mearly standing in the car park as 'event organizers' rushed around. Suddenly a man starts randomly playing a guitar from the balcony of the Segedunum helmet, and then a shakespearean type actor beings telling story of a winged boy a Hadrians wall, the story was about the separation of people, one boys flight of freedom and I felt like I should be standing where the Berlin wall once stood not Hadrians wall. The event was brought to an anti climax when the fireworks went off in BROAD daylight and the first torch was lit. One flickering flame. And then we where all urged to leave. My friend and I thought it would have been a nice touch to have a large screen TV following the line of light, but if only half of them got lit, there wouldn't have been much point. The Illumination was a great idea, just poorly executed.
I came to birdoswald; one of those who despite registering months ago still didnt get a ticket to view from the official spot in Birdoswald. However, we did park, and camped ourselves along a footpath but I was shocked at the many people who were standing on the wall itself to get better views. The actual lighting wasnt well coordinated - some people were struggling, but I did enjoy the feeling overall. The biggest let-down for me was that we'd come up early on Saturday hoping to visit Birdoswald at about 11am only to find it all closed up, and people barred from the car-park. How ridiculous! On a day when many people were visiting the area to look at the wall, surely it would have made sense to allow visitors! However, on the plus side we're looking to come back up in a few weeks and explore properly!
ReplyDeleteWe travelled up from Liverpool having made our plans for accommodation etc a few weeks before. We weren't lucky in the ticket ballot for official viewing spots but came up anyway and ended up parking at the Visitors Centre at Once Brewed at 1pm in the afternoon and as it was such a lovely afternoon we went for a walk along the wall before returning to take up a viewing position at Winshields Crag. I'm sorry to say that I do think the illuminations were a big let down. A great idea in theory but in practice just not much to see - I thought the burners would be a lot bigger and closer together so that you could get a real sense of a "line of light". As we walked back down closer to Steel Rigg, there was certainly more to see there I guess, as you say, because that is where the press were positioned.
ReplyDeleteOn a positive note, we didn't see anyone climbing on the wall or behaving inappropriately where we were. We enjoyed the opportunity of visiting and walking along the wall anyway and as a photographer, I was able to get a decent shot of the famous Sycamore Gap, so I was happy!
Hi Joan,
ReplyDeleteSorry it didn't go well for you. We were over at Longbyre towards Gilsland and the whole thing went very well.
I agree with the last person who commented that it was a shame that Birdoswald was not open!
Thankyou for the comments - it was lovely weather so at least people did get to see the area in a good light.
ReplyDeleteBirdoswald and Housesteads were both closed by Hadrian's Wall Heritage Limited. Both sites had hoed to open until 2pm but HWH felt once in a parking space people would be reluctant to give up that space to a ticket holder.
I do hope both of these major attractions o n the Wall were compensated for loss of income.
I have followed your blog since we visited the wall last year and I was dismayed that you found the event so dismal. We also parked early at Once Brewed, walked in the morning and watched from Steel Rigg. I thought that the view was great after a fantastic light show as the sun went down. Sure they had a few problems timing the lighting of the burners and the smoke from the flares clouded several of my photos but overall the event was a great spectacle and I am glad we spent all the time in the traffic jams on the M6 on Friday and all the way back on Sunday. I really feel sorry for all the folks who were in cars on the Car Park of the military road. They could not have seen much at all.
ReplyDeleteThose people who went to Steel Rigg will have had a great view, because it was the VIP viewing area there were far more burners there than at any other place. The farmers along the Wall hadn't been contacted until 2 weeks before the event was due to take place, as one of them said to me "it showed a total lack of respect for them". So when asked to use their quad bikes to transport the burners up to the more difficult to reach places they refused, which meant there were big gaps in the line of lights. Do I blame the farmers, who get nothing but aggravation from the tourist?
ReplyDeleteNo, I blame HWH.
Hi Joan,
ReplyDeleteI am ashamed to say that i was in one of those cars. Wish i had arranged to be dropped off and then walked in now.To be honest i have mixed feelings about it, it left me thinking that it was just one big publicity stunt...would have been better to hire St James park and just parade around that with torches?
Guess the real judgement will be in what lasting value it brings to the area. if there is a follow up program for education and things like this then maybe we will look back and say yes that was the start of something good.
Sorry to hear it was such a let down in the middle of the wall. I so nearly went there.
ReplyDeleteInstead I went to Bowness on Solway, to a community event, which was only locally advertised. I'm not sure why, but expect it was because of the parking on the marsh being limited.
The atmosphere was fantastic with children dressing as roman soldiers and then marching through the village. The only let down was that at the last point we couldn't actually see any other burner at all. It would have been great to see at least one other to make it feel more like a joined up event.
"The Wall farmers however have not fared so well, most of them get no income from tourists and have had to put up with thousands of people trampling over their land"
ReplyDeleteWhilst some of the farmers receive no direct income from tourists, they do benefit from all of the pubs, shops and restaurants that would not be there if it wasn't for the tourists.
The sensible ones have even opened campsites, b&b's and bunkhouses as additional forms of income. Unfortunately there are still a few landowners in the area from the outdated 'get orf my land' bigoted ilk.
There is, however, no excuse for disturbing the archaeology and worrying livestock.
Well Richard, I'm guessing you haven't actually been to the bit of Hadrian's Wall between Chollerford and Birdoswald where I 'work'.
ReplyDeleteThere are no shops or restaurants and I fail to see how you think our farmers would benefit if there were. Admitedly the Twice Brewed or Milecastle pub will have a few farmers relaxing on Friday night but those pubs have been in the same spot for years.
"Unfortunately there are still a few landowners in the area from the outdated 'get orf my land' bigoted ilk."
Not on Hadrian's Wall there aren't, most of the farmers don't actually own the land they farm they're tenants of the National Trust or other big land owners. As tenant hill farmers it's hard enough making a living so exactly where is all of this developemant money coming from to upgrade farmhouses for B&B or provide toilets for camping barns?
I suggest you come and see for yourself, but make sure to pack supplies you won't be able to buy drinks or energy bars on route.