Haltwhistle

Haltwhistle Swimming and Leisure Centre

The Tourist — Mon, 14 Jun 2010 11:05:19 +0000

The Haltwhistle Swimming and Leisure Centre is one of the focal points of the local community offering a main pool which is 25 m x 10 m, a learner pool which is 10 m x 8 m and a paddling pool which is 3 m x 3 m. The leisure centre also has a sports hall, fitness suite, changing and shower areas, cafe facilities, adventure play area, tennis court, picnic area and squash courts.

In the summertime there is massive demand for the Haltwhistle Swimming and Leisure Centre and indeed there are a number of special events over the summer period. Situated just a short distance from the two main schools in Haltwhistle it is literally the perfect venue. This is just one of many leisure facilities in the Haltwhistle area which help to bring together a community and give young and older residents the chance to participate in numerous events.

Site :- http://www.hslc.freeserve.co.uk/

Haltwhistle Walking Festival 2010

The Tourist — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 15:47:30 +0000

The Haltwhistle Walking Festival 2010 will be taking place between 9 October and 17 October and is certain to attract the attention of many people from around the UK. Walking around Haltwhistle and around Hadrian’s Wall is one of the most breathtaking walking trails you can imagine in the UK and the number of people attending is growing year by year.

Not only is this excellent for the Haltwhistle tourism industry but also attracts additional activity for local businesses. This is one of the best organised Hadrian’s Wall walks with hundreds of people certain to attend. The festival itself is sponsored by a variety of local businesses including Hadrian’s Wall Country, Kilfrost, AGMA and Northumberland National Park to name but a few. The Haltwhistle Walking Festival to website has everything you could wish for as well as a Facebook and a Twitter page for more information.

Site : www.haltwhistlewalkingfestival.org/

Haltwhistle Centre of Britain website

The Tourist — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 15:14:37 +0000

One interesting website to look at in relation to Haltwhistle is the Haltwhistle Centre of Britain website which offers the latest news, views and opinions from around the area as well as local events and history about Haltwhistle. There are also some very interesting Haltwhistle photographs covering many years and giving a feel for how the town has developed in recent times.

This is just one of a number of websites covering Haltwhistle which are part of the Haltwhistle Partnership Community, a group of sites that have certainly had an impact upon tourism and the popularity of the area. Events such as the walking festivals, cycle trails and various tourist attractions in and around Haltwhistle are giving top billing by the website, something which is welcomed by local businesses.

The site itself has been designed to be user-friendly, easy on the eye and very simple to understand and navigate around.

Site :- www.haltwhistle.net/

Haltwhistle First School

The Tourist — Sun, 13 Jun 2010 15:07:29 +0000

The Haltwhistle First School website is proving very popular amongst children and parents offering a chance to see exactly what the school has to offer, future events and a means of communication between the school and parents. This is a school which has been very prominent in the Haltwhistle community for many years and is obviously very important to children and parents alike.

The Internet has also proven to be a very useful means of showcasing the work of children from Haltwhistle schools which not only gives confidence to the children but also allows parents to see exactly what is going on. The Parent Teachers Association is also very prominent on the website and also plays a very important role in the development of the School, children and links with parents.

Haltwhistle first School
Woodhead Lane
Haltwhistle
NE48 9DP
Tel :- 01434 320 467

Website :- www.haltwhistle.northumberland.sch.uk/

Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail

The Tourist — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:52:03 +0000

As more and more people look to take in tourist attractions in the UK there has been specific demand for experiences such as the Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail. The Hadrians Wall runs from Newcastle to Carlisle although many of the more prominent attractions and exquisite views are available in and around the Haltwhistle area. As a consequence, Haltwhistle has seen a massive increase in the number of tourists from around the world as well as from around the UK.

The Hadrian’s Wall Walk is more popular today than it ever has been and is now mentioned on hundreds if not thousands of Walking and Rambler sites. Until you have actually stood on the Roman Wall and looked over the hills and meadows it is difficult to explain exactly what it feels like. The history, the presence, the beauty and the elements all available in one spot!

Hadrian’s Wall buses

The Tourist — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 14:43:59 +0000

The number of Hadrian’s Wall buses has increased dramatically over the last few years as the number of tourists continues to grow. Many of the specific tourist buses take in sites such as Haltwhistle and the surrounding areas, giving many people the chance to enjoy the beauty of the region. There are also a number of minibuses available which can take in the length and breadth of Hadrian’s Wall from Newcastle to Carlisle with some very special scenery along the way.

For those looking to travel at their own speed there are a number of private taxi firms in and around Haltwhistle which can show you the sights, the old forts and some of the most unbelievable views you could dream of. While many tourists look overseas for their adventures it is easy to forget what is on our own doorsteps!

Haltwhistle Photographs

The Tourist — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 11:49:41 +0000

There are a whole host of new websites containing Haltwhistle Photographs from the past and the present. The history of Haltwhistle is there for all to see and contains not only some of the older pictures from the mines and surrounding businesses but some of the most beautiful countryside you could ever hope to see along the Roman wall.

Hadrian’s Wall has become a central part of the Haltwhistle economy attracting literally hundreds of thousands of visitors to the region. However, more and more people are now realising that the area has very much more to offer than just Hadrian’s Wall and is now becoming one of the central tourist destinations in the North of England. It is also the close proximity to Scotland, Carlisle and Newcastle which has helped to increase the profile of Haltwhistle as well as the vast array of Haltwhistle Photographs available on many websites.

Haltwhistle Film Project

The Tourist — Fri, 11 Jun 2010 11:42:29 +0000

The Haltwhistle Film Project is based in the Haltwhistle main street and brings together filmmakers, artists and organisations in the film industry from the Northeast and the Northwest of England. The project offers training in film services and animation and is proving to be something of a godsend for many people looking to prosper in this particular sector.

The Haltwhistle Film Project has already been involved in commissioning a number of films across a wide range of subjects using the online medium to gain maximum exposure. There are many more different animations and films planned for the future and the project is going from strength to strength. The ability to pull together some of the best brains in the North of England and give them a platform on which to deliver their expertise and inspirations is proving priceless.

Haltwhistle buses

The Tourist — Thu, 03 Jun 2010 09:16:58 +0000

Haltwhistle has a very comprehensive bus service run by the Arriva company taking in the full length and breadth of the A69 road. Haltwhistle buses run between Carlisle and Newcastle taking in such places as Brampton, Hexham and Corbridge to name but a few. The main Newcastle to Carlisle route is covered by the 685 service, Newcastle to Hexham by the 85 and X85 and the Brampton to Hexham service is the 185 bus.

There are a number of variations along the way taking in smaller villages between Carlisle and Newcastle which offer the chance to see some of the most beautiful countryside in the UK. Roman wall country is attracting more and more people, from not only the UK but from around the world, and tourist numbers have been increasing for many years. Even though places such as Haltwhistle may be out in the far-flung countryside of the UK it is well served by trains, buses and main roads.

Route planner : Arriva

The Vindolanda Trust PRESS RELEASE – 30th March 2010

The Tourist — Tue, 06 Apr 2010 07:58:08 +0000

The 2010 archaeological excavation season at the world famous Hadrian’s Wall site of Vindolanda will start (weather permitting) on Easter Sunday.

Applications from volunteers for the 2010 season have been at an unprecedented level. Over 90% of the 550 places available places were booked within just 2 weeks after the applications opened on 1st November 2009 and all were booked by the start of 2010. Excavation volunteers come from all walks of life, from professionals and students with an academic interest in archaeology to those who just want to experience taking part in an excavation. Volunteers travel from all over the UK and Europe and this year a number of individuals are travelling from the USA, Australia and New Zealand to take part.

Excavations will be taking place both inside and outside the walls of the fort to continue the work of the previous year and, if 2009 was an indication of what may be uncovered, we can expect another fascinating year of archaeology at Vindolanda.

Excavations will be in progress at Vindolanda 7 days a week (weather permitting) from Easter Sunday 4th April 2010 until Thursday 16th September 2010 (except 9th & 10th April, 4th & 5th July, 27th & 28th August and 3rd, 4th, 10th and 11th September). Visitors are encouraged to come along as see our excavation volunteers at work and to chat to them about what they are doing and what they have been finding.

The Vindolanda Trust’s sister site, The Roman Army Museum, at Greenhead, now features a wonderful temporary exhibition about Hadrian and life on the Roman Frontier of Hadrian’s Wall. The exhibition , which will run from April to October, is housed in the newly refurbished lower section of the museum and includes a superb graphic display covering different aspects of Roman life as well as the Emperor Hadrian and Hadrian’s Wall. This is all enhanced and illustrated by artefacts from the Vindolanda collection and a range of life sized figures and full size replica chariots. The Eagle’s Eye film, always a highlight for all visitors to the Roman Army Museum, lets visitors fly with an eagle along the line of Hadrian’s Wall from the Roman Army Museum to Crag Lough, before turning south to Vindolanda. This aerial tour gives a wonderful view of Hadrian’s Wall as it is today. Once you reach Vindolanda the site is reconstructed using computer graphics and you fly back along the Wall as it was in Roman times, really bringing it all to life!

Vindolanda & The Roman Army Museum are both open 7 days a week from 10am and full details can be found at www.vindolanda.com

Supplementary Excavation Information
Inside the fort
The excavations inside the last stone fort at Vindolanda will continue to explore the very last periods of occupation on the site from the 4th century to post Roman. The excavation area of 2009 (displaying 4th century shops, houses, workshops and yards) will be lowered from the 4th century levels to examine the earlier 3rd century barracks which are situated directly below the remains of the 4th century buildings. This will be achieved by lifting the floors of the 4th century structures whilst carefully retaining the framework of the buildings themselves which are to be preserved for future consolidation and display. The trenches will extend further to the east of the 2009 area to include the main road running from the north gate of the fort to the headquarters building. It is hoped that this road remains largely intact and will offer further evidence of 4th century commercial activity within the walls of the fort.

Outside the walls of the last stone fort
The 2010 excavation of this area will continue to build on research surrounding the extramural garrison settlement. The buildings situated outside the 3rd century fort walls will be examined to establish their size, form and probable use. It is expected that various houses, shops, workshops, and perhaps religious buildings, will be identified. This data will allow us to identify potentially different zones of use, as well as establishing when the settlement was finally abandoned. Ultimately the information gathered from the excavation will tie in with research conducted inside the fort to establish the extent and nature of the divide between the military fort and its associated extramural garrison settlement outside the fort walls.

Andrew Birley – Director of Excavations

ENDS

For further enquiries contact Fiona Watson- Information Officer on 01434 344 277 or fionawatson@vindolanda.com