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Illuminating Hadrian’s Wall With Lpg Gas

Plans have been unveiled to create a line of light along the length of Hadrian’s Wall on March 13. There will be around 500 lpg powered lights at 250 metre intervals along the 84 mile Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail.

Bullfinch Equipment Ltd and Calor Gas Ltd have both been involved in the design of the torches and the building of a prototype.

The event is being produced by John Farquhar-Smith who was the technical director for the handover ceremony for London 2012 at the closing of the Beijing 2008 Olympics. He said: “I’m delighted to be directing this extraordinary event. It really is a once in a lifetime opportunity to create a line of light stretching from one side of England to the other.

“Andrew Williams at Bullfinch was totally the right person to get involved in the design of the lp gas torches. We have experimented with lpg gas flow, pressures and different prototypes. We have come up with an elegant, safe and 99.9 per cent wind proof solution.”

The first lp gas light will be illuminated at Wallsend in the northeast, with the line of light making its way to Bowness on Solway in Cumbria over the following hour. The project is led by Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd and forms part of the programme of festivals and events developed by culture10 in the northeast and the Lakes Alive programme in Cumbria presented by Kendal Arts International and Manchester International Arts.

Linda Tuttiett, chief executive of Hadrian’s Wall Heritage, said: “In partnership with local people, we wanted to do something really quite extraordinary to bring to life Britain’s longest and greatest piece of heritage and celebrate the landscape of Hadrian’s Wall country. What could be more spectacular than a line of light that will stretch from coast to coast illuminating this stunning World Heritage site?”

The Romans built small forts, known as mile castles, along the wall at intervals of one Roman mile. Between each mile castle, and spaced one third of a Roman mile apart, were a series of turrets. The plan is to create a point of light where all the mile forts and turrets were located, with an additional point of light between each of them.

Julie Tait, director of Lakes Alive, said: “Illuminating Hadrian’s Wall is an important and exciting part of our four-year programme building up to London 2012, which is all about bringing to life the rich and spectacular landscapes and heritage of Cumbria through inspiring world class outdoor arts events.”

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