For the first time in about 1,600 years, Hadrian's Wall has been lit up with beacons, and the sight is an impressive one. The 83-mile long chain of lights, manned by 1,200 people chosen by lottery, "was designed to draw world attention and give an early spring to tourism as Britain struggles out of recession."



A series of 500 "illumination stations," spaced about 250 meters apart, were designated, and each lighting was timed and synchronized. And honestly, the video -- although short -- is pretty cool. It's a bit like watching the "beacon of Gondor" scene in LOTR, although with less snow.



The giant wall was built by the Roman Emporer Hadrian, and construction began around the year 122 c.e. It begins at Segedunum fort, Wallsend (near Newcastle), and travels west to Bowness-on-Solway on the west coast. Originally, the wall was about 15 feet high and up to 10 feet thick, with mileposts and forts along its entire length. According to the official website, Hadrian's Wall was not built to keep out Scottish invaders, but more likely "as a form of border or customs post so that the Romans could keep track of population flow between the north and south of Britain."





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Hadrian's Wall Lights Up originally appeared on About.com Paganism / Wiccan on Wednesday, March 17th, 2010 at 11:31:42.

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