This year is the 1900th birthday of Hadrian’s Wall. We have an ideal opportunity to remember and celebrate ALL the Wall, its diverse communities past and present, particularly the Wall through the West End which is often ignored because of narrow elitism.
Its wor Wall, after all!
We have an ideal opportunity to remember and celebrate ALL the Wall, its diverse communities past and present, particularly the Wall through the West End which is often ignored because of narrow elitism. Its wor Wall, after all! (2/3)
SO I asked the Minister for 4 actions:
💷 No govt funding for orgs and schemes that don’t follow true Wall
👩🏾🏫 Better education and signage in Newcastle
🚶🏾♂️ Work with Natural England for more accurate route
🧑🏾🏫 Fund further archaeology of Wall in Newcastle
HANSARD You can read the full debate here :
Parliament TV:
https://twitter.com/ChiOnwurah/status/1488575011032076292?cxt=HHwWiMC4ob7FvagpAAAA
Press Release:
Chi calls for recognition of Hadrians Wall in Newcaslte’s West End
Chi Onwurah, MP for Newcastle Central, has called for greater recognition of the route of Hadrian’s Wall through the West of Newcastle in a parliamentary debate today.
Chi highlighted how many cultural and heritage activities and routed cut out the features of the Wall that are evident today in the West of Newcastle, largely following the course of the West Road/Westgate Road.
Chi asked for the government to do more to promote the true route of Hadrian’s Wall, and to improve education and information (such as plaques) that emphasise the history of the wall and the diversity of Roman Newcastle.
2022 is the 1900th birthday of Hadrian’s Wall.
Chi Said: “We need to make sure we celebrate all the wall. Hadrian’s Wall tends to conjure images of the wonderful Northumbrian countryside.
The Wall is and was an Urban Wall too. It runs through the wonderful, vibrant, multicultural urban West End of Newcastle, but not everyone knows this!”
Many tourists are actually directed away from the wall by the National Trail’s Hadrian’s Wall Path and other trails and tours that follow it, such as the Ramblers Association and the National Cycle Network.
Chi added:
“The 1900 celebrations are great opportunity to represent the wall as it was then and now, and move away from the history of exclusion and elitism. We need to celebrate Hadrian’s Wall in the West End we need to promote All the Wall.”
ENDS
Notes to Editors:
Info on the route through Newcastle: wallquest-walking-guide.pdf (hadrianswallquest.co.uk)
Example of how routes miss the West End: https://explore.osmaps.com/en/route/3647714/Sustrans-Hadrians-Cycleway