I got goose-bumps when I discovered that my ancestors would have almost certainly played on Hadrian's Wall. The former family farmhouse still stands, just half a kilometre from a part of the wall which intersects their land. In those days, 250 years ago, a family of boys would have simply regarded it as a great place to clamber on and test their balance and daring.

In its 2000-year history Hadrian's Wall has been lots of things to all the various generations in the area, I imagine. A defence, lookout, symbol, frontier of the Roman Empire, tourist magnet, and a source of wonder - although not visible from space.

And now, it has become - albeit briefly - something else again. A beacon. A visionary project, Illuminating Hadrian's Wall, last week created a spectacular line of light from coast to coast. The event took place on Saturday, March 13th, and followed the route of the 84-mile long Hadrian's Wall Path National Trail.

Around 500 flaming beacons, individual points of light, were placed by 500 volunteers at 250-metre intervals to light up  the wall. The first one was illuminated at a public event at Segedunum Roman Fort at Wallsend in the North East, with the line of light then making its way along the Wall to Bowness-on-Solway in Cumbria over the following hour.

As it reached Carlisle there was a second public event 'Welcoming the Light' to celebrate the light's arrival and passing through, The Guardian reporting "A NASA satellite recorded the necklace of beacons from above."

Spectators came in legions, some appropriately dressed in Roman helmets and flowing robes.

So why do all this?

The organisers aim was to capture the world's imagination and highlight the immense scale and beauty of Hadrian's Wall and the countryside, villages, towns and cities that it passes through.

What's more, this year, 2010, is also the 1600th anniversary of the end of Roman Britain in AD410 - one of the greatest turning points in British history. As well as celebrating a truly iconic piece of world heritage, they felt the line of light would help to mark this hugely significant anniversary.

When I visited the area last year, we spent time too, following the trails and watching archaeologists still excavating parts of the ancient forts and Roman bases. Thousands of soldiers lived in the towns beside the wall, and no doubt their descendants are still there. Somewhere.

Illuminating Hadrian's Wall was an ambitious project led by Hadrian's Wall Heritage Ltd which forms part of North East England's world-class programme of festivals and events developed by culture10 and presented in partnership with Lakes Alive.

I reckon my long-dead rellies would have loved to see that. They would have been pretty proud of it, and I am too. In a funny, sort-of antipodean way.

by Sally Hammond

Find out more:

http://http://www.illuminatinghadrianswall.com/site/
http://www.hadrians-wall.org