Last updated 12:19, Friday, 14 November 2008

Conservation work to protect a stretch of Hadrian’s Wall that runs through Great Chesters Farm near Haltwhistle has started thanks to funding from Natural England.

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Pointing the way: Signs to Hadrian’s Wall near Walltown Crags

The 800m section of the 2,000-year-old Roman wall at Great Chesters is part of one of the most stunning stretches of Hadrian’s Wall.

But time has taken its toll and the Roman remains are now at risk of damage from the weather and grazing animals.

At Great Chesters, Hadrian’s Wall forms part of the boundary of a Site of Special Scientific Interest, which could be damaged by sheep or cattle breaking through the ancient defences and eating the rare plants that grow in the shadow of the wall.

Now Natural England has teamed up with English Heritage, the Northumberland National Park and Hadrian’s Wall Heritage to protect this important section of the World Heritage Site and its wildlife.

Natural England is funding not only the repairs to Hadrian’s Wall but also the building of a new wall.

In fact, Great Chesters is the story of two old walls – Hadrian’s Wall has run through the area for thousands of years, but in the 1890s a dry stone wall was built on top of and alongside parts of the ancient monument.

The dry stone wall was originally intended to enclose animals in the adjacent fields but, almost by accident, it also helped cocoon the fragile core of the Roman remains.

Work has now started to carefully consolidate and repair the Roman wall and to re-establish the later dry stone wall using traditional techniques. The project will take several months, and will protect an important stretch of Hadrian’s Wall for the future.

Dr Tom Gledhill, Natural England’s historic buildings adviser, said: “Thanks to this special project we can not only save one of the finest sections of the Roman wall, but also safeguard some of Northumberland’s most precious wildlife.

“Soon visitors will be able to enjoy a restored Roman wall, a repaired dry stone wall, and a wealth of wall-side wildlife.” added Dr Gledhill.