By RUTH LOGNONNE

Last updated at 12:21, Friday, 12 March 2010

THE eyes of the world will be on Tynedale this weekend, as the entire length of Hadrian’s Wall is lit up by a chain of flaming beacons 84 miles long.

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But most of us will miss out on enjoying a close-up look at the once in a lifetime spectacular.

The public are being told to stay away from the central section of the Wall in case they disturb sensitive sites.

Only 600 tickets were available to view the event from close range – and they were all snapped up by VIPS without being made available to the public.

Although car parks along the Wall will be closed, the Military Road will be open, and it is likely that cars will creep along the length of the road from Heddon to Greenhead as the frontier begins to glow.

The advice from Hadrian Wall Heritage Ltd, which is organising the event, is to park in nearby towns and villages and walk to the Wall from there.

The illumination of the World Heritage site is set to be one of the most spectacular events to hit the district since the arrival of Emperor Hadrian himself. It has captured the imaginations of more than 4,000 volunteers who applied to hold a torch along the Wall. The numbers to be used were doubled from the original 500 to 1,000, but still leaving many disappointed.

Bed and breakfasts and hotels are expected to be busy as thousands decide to head to Tynedale to witness the unique occasion.

Hadrian’s Wall Heritage Ltd chief executive Linda Tuttiett said: “We’re delighted that so many people want to get involved in illuminating Hadrian’s Wall. We decided to create teams of two or more at most of the locations so that as many people as possible can be a part of this once in a lifetime event.”

There will be 500 individual points of light, at roughly 250 metre intervals, along the 84-mile world famous monument.

Lamp-lighters include hundreds from the communities around Hadrian’s Wall as well as enthusiasts from all over the country, and even a number of overseas guests.

Miss Tuttiett added: “After many months of planning we’re just a day away from seeing this stunning World Heritage Site illuminated by hundreds of lights. We’ve been thrilled by how much enthusiasm this event has generated.”

Those involved in lighting the Wall will meet at muster points where they will be given training, including health and safety advice. They will then be taken to the section where they will be responsible for lighting one of the gas beacons or flares.

The first torch will be lit at Segedunum, at Wallsend, at 5.15pm.

The line of light will then begin its breathtaking journey westwards through Newcastle. As the line of light heads west homeowners ans businesses are being urged to switch off their lights to ensure the spectacle is displayed at its best.

Those in the eastern end of the Tyne Valley have been asked to take part in the voluntary black-out for an hour from 5.45pm. Between Hexham and Brampton lights should be dimmed at 6.15pm.

At the end of the journey in Carlisle thousands of people are expected to take part in a torchlight procession, leaving the city centre at about 6pm to meet the line of light as it passes through Bitts Park.

The final gas beacon is expected to be lit at Bowness-on-Solway on the Cumbrian coast at about 6.50pm and the full line of light will remain illuminated until about 7.15pm.

Meanwhile, at Greenhead an exhibition of the skills that can be found in Hadrian’s Wall Country will be on display at the Greenhead Hotel on Sunday.

In Hexham, visitors will be greeted by Roman centurion Maximus. There will be Roman pottery and leather-work demonstrations, as well as the chance to try traditional Roman cookery.

Tamsin Beevor, of Hexham Community Partnership, said: “The illumination of nearby Hadrian’s Wall will be a truly breathtaking experience. Lots of visitors are already planning to make a weekend of their trip, and we would encourage them to visit our beautiful market town for a warm welcome and lots of Roman fun.

“It really will be a family event and a great precursor to the illumination.”

**Send us your pictures from the lighting of Hadrian’s Wall tomorrow, and we will
publish the pick of them in the Courant next week. Send them to
hxpics@hexham-courant.co uk
or www.flickr.com/groups/hadrian

First published at 09:44, Friday, 12 March 2010
Published by http://www.hexhamcourant.co.uk