Volunteer army sought for Hadrian Wall conservation plan

Hadrian's Wall stretches from Bowness-on-Solway in Cumbria to Wallsend in Tyneside

A volunteer army is being enlisted to help preserve Hadrian's Wall.

Severe weather, wear and tear caused by tourism, invasive plant damage, and erosion by animals mean parts of the World Heritage site are deteriorating.

A team from Newcastle University will be training volunteers to assess the structure, and then take practical steps to conserve it.

The £1.3m three-year project, funded with Heritage Lottery cash, is set to get under way in 2018.

It will include 3D surveys with terrestrial laser scanning to understand more about its condition.

There will also be limited archaeological excavations and geological work to analyse and map the kinds of stone used.

Professor Sam Turner, from university's School of History, Classics and Archaeology, said: "This project will give different people interested in the wall and its landscape the chance to work together.

"We are very excited to have the opportunity to take practical steps that will help conserve and better understand our shared heritage."