Hadrian's Wall: Ideas sought to boost visitor numbers

Hadrian's Wall spanned northern England from the Solway Firth to Tyneside

Ideas for new visitor attractions along Hadrian's Wall, or for improving existing ones, are being sought in a bid to boost its tourism potential.

It is part of Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal signed by council leaders in Northern England and Scotland in 2021, bringing £450m into border areas.

Partners in the scheme are now inviting expressions of interest in the £9m project around the Roman frontier.

A shortlist will be drawn up after the 2 September deadline.

The proposals should have the potential to "significantly add to or improve the overall visitor offer of Hadrian's Wall as a destination, and ... will attract new visitor markets and audiences into the area".

The Local Democracy Reporting Service said the project aims to "unlock the immense unrealised potential" of the Unesco World Heritage site.

A spokesperson for the Borderlands Growth Deal Partnership described Hadrian's Wall as "globally important ... linking two nations, connecting two coasts, and offering some of the most impressive cultural heritage and landscape in the UK".

The project aims to "bring the destination to life for a growing and diverse audience of national and international visitors, attracting and spreading new wealth throughout the area, creating jobs, and supporting sustainable communities across the Borderlands region".