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WallCAP ending

No stone unturned

Launched in 2019, the Hadrian’s Wall Community Archaeology Project (WallCAP) examines the landscape heritage of the Hadrian’s Wall corridor and World Heritage Site (WHS) by building a community-based network, guided and trained by professionals. The project aims to foster local engagement and social investment in heritage landscapes through two key strands:

  1. Heritage At Risk (HAR) – investigating, understanding, and (where possible) conserving sites where current or potential threats have been identified; most of these sites are on the official Historic England Heritage At Risk register;
  2. Stone Sourcing & Dispersal (SSD) – identifying and locating the source quarries for the building of Hadrian’s Wall, and the dispersal and recycling of building fabric from Hadrian’s Wall into later buildings and structures.
Overlooking WallCAP’s excavation at Cam Beck, near Castlesteads fort – one of over 15 sites on the Roman frontier that the initiative has investigated.

The WallCAP project has been funded by The National Lottery Heritage Fund and hosted by Newcastle University.

Over the last three years, the WallCAP community project has carried out illuminating archaeological fieldwork at more than 15 sites on and around Hadrian’s Wall. With the initiative now drawing to a close, Project Coordinator Dr Rob Collins and a number of the volunteers who have been involved share their thoughts.

WallCAP's successes

Project Manager and Research Coordinator, Dr Rob Collins, explains why WallCAP has been successful:

"Through WallCAP and the thousands of hours contributed by volunteers, we have been able to excavate parts of Hadrian’s Wall that have never been examined by archaeologists. The newly discovered bridgeworks over the Cam Beck (north of Brampton) are a great example of this!

One of the best things about WallCAP is that we have been able to work with volunteers and landowners along Hadrian’s Wall to repair damaged sections of the monument. Not only does this prevent further damage, but it also means that the Wall can be enjoyed by future generations."

One of the best things about WallCAP is that we have been able to work with volunteers and landowners along Hadrian’s Wall to repair damaged sections of the monument.

Dr Rob Collins, WallCAP Project Manager and Research Coordinator
Locations of WallCAP fieldwork in 2019-2021

Volunteers' thoughts

With the project aiming to foster local engagement and social investment in heritage landscapes, the role of volunteers has been essential to success. Project coordinators have spoken with some of the volunteers involved to measure the project's success:

"Our WallCAP experience has indeed been positive, the project proving highly interesting, instructive and enjoyable. Kind thanks and appreciation to Kerry, Rob, Ian and all the team. We feel sure that Hadrian, too, would give the project “thumbs-up”!" - Jan and Ollie Mather

"I would like to thank everyone who has contributed to the success of WallCAP and I am really disappointed that the Project is coming to an end: I will miss it more than you can imagine!" - Hilda Gribbin

I have lapped everything up and have enjoyed every minute of my time volunteering on WallCAP. I have made some very good friends and had my eyes opened as to just how much work goes on (especially after) at an excavation.

Lee Robertson, WallCAP Volunteer

"I have lapped everything up and have enjoyed every minute of my time volunteering on WallCAP. I have made some very good friends and had my eyes opened as to just how much work goes on (especially after) at an excavation." - Lee Robertson

"I turned up at this event, expecting my lack of digging experience to be a hindrance. I was so wrong. The team made me welcome, and soon I was let loose with a trowel in a shallow pit." - Pat Craighead

"The way that the children were so enthusiastically included. Really, they have mentioned this so often that WallCAP has embraced their involvement and they were not marginalised or patronised. That, and that we all were allowed to geek out about Roman History! We also feel invested in by professionals who welcomed amateurs into their area of expertise." - Anonymous, WallCAP Volunteers (Home Education Network)

"Loved working on local projects with experienced staff and meeting with other like-minded people , it has been a chance in a lifetime opportunity to get involved with." - Anonymous

Find out more

To discover more about the WallCAP project, check out these links: