Antonine Wall project one of only 30 listed in new European guide on heritage

A project to bring the fascinating story of the Antonine Wall to life has been hailed as an example of best practice to promote heritage.
The top of a section of the Antonine Wall at Falkirk.The top of a section of the Antonine Wall at Falkirk.
The top of a section of the Antonine Wall at Falkirk.

The Rediscovering the Antonine Wall project is one of only 30 sites being included in the European guide for Cultural Heritage in Action, and the only one from the UK.

It was picked from thousands of heritage projects following an application made by Historic Environment Scotland in partnership with the five local authorities the wall runs through, from Falkirk to West Dunbartonshire.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The £2.1 million project aims to improve awareness of and engagement with the UNESCO World Heritage Site among local communities along the line of the Wall and with visitors from further afield.

Roman themed play parks, designed with local schoolchildren, are being created at sites near to the Wall so children and young people can explore and play while finding out about its history.

Replica stone distance slabs and new sculptures are also being installed and new ways of enabling people to reach the sites are being trialled, including trishaw journeys, courtesy of the Falkirk-based charity Cycling Without Age.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Councillor Cecil Meiklejohn, leader of Falkirk Council said: “It’s amazing having a World Heritage Site like the Antonine Wall on our doorstep and it means that heritage and history can be combined and turned into something that gives visitors from around the world something really interesting and worthwhile to explore.

“This global recognition reinforces just how significant the various sites we have in our area are.”

Thank you for reading this article on our free-to-read website. We're more reliant on your support than ever as the shift in consumer habits brought about by Coronavirus impacts our advertisers.

Please consider purchasing a subscription to our print newspaper to help fund our trusted, fact-checked journalism.