Hadrian's Wall Live! Chesters Revealed

Visit Chesters Roman Fort this weekend for a truly new and unique perspective on this popular Hadrian’s Wall attraction.

As part of Hadrian’s Wall Live, English Heritage will reveal more about the Chesters’ story from the air, during performances, talks, workshops, photography and via our costumed character. A state-of-the-art drone will present images of the Roman Fort from the sky on to our outdoor screen, giving you a view of our historic Roman ruins like you’ve never seen before. Our experts will bring to life these images, giving you an in-depth insight into Chesters’ archaeological makeup.

If it wasn’t for John Clayton, Hadrian’s Wall wouldn’t exist as it does today. Our costumed actor will depict the ‘saviour of the Wall’ and you’ll learn more about his fascinating finds, which are displayed in the site’s Victorian Museum.

Inside the Dome, English Heritage in partnership with Hexham Book Festival has invited a number of guest speakers including three famous historical authors:

Saturday 5th September

11am–12pm: Gary Northfield Workshop
Join top cartoonist and graphic novelist Gary Northfield for this interactive family workshop, full of tips for budding young cartoonists, illustrators and writers.
Gary, who you may know from his work on The Phoenix, The Beano, The Dandy and Horrible Histories, will lead a workshop teaching you how to create your own comic strips to take home, so bring along some pens and paper and be prepared to amaze yourself!
Suitable for ages 7+  

1pm-2pm: Gary Northfield - Julius Zebra/Rumble with the Romans
Meet the cartoonist and graphic novelist who created The Terrible Tales of the Teenytinysaurs!
Join in this interactive family event full of tips for budding young cartoonists, illustrators and writers. Gary introduces his hilarious brand new series Julius Zebra. Rumble with the Romans! And dazzles with lots of images, live drawing and plenty of Roman facts.
Suitable for ages 7+

2.30pm–3.30pm: Douglas Jackson– Hero of Rome: Scourge of Rome
Douglas Jackson was a journalist on local and national newspapers for 36 years, before becoming a full-time writer. Douglas's first novel was Caligula (2008), the story of a young slave and animal trainer, Rufus, who becomes keeper of the famously mad Emperor's elephant, Bersheba. The sequel - Claudius in 2009, continues Rufus's story accompanying another Emperor on the invasion of Britain in 43 AD.
Hero of Rome is a new series featuring the tribune Gaius Valerius Verrens, and Douglas will be talking about the 6th book: Scourge of Rome.
Free to those with Saturday admission tickets.

4pm-5pm: Gary Northfield Workshop
Join top cartoonist and graphic novelist Gary Northfield for this interactive family workshop, full of tips for budding young cartoonists, illustrators and writers.
Gary - who you may know from his work on The Phoenix, The Beano, The Dandy and Horrible Histories - will lead a workshop teaching you how to create your own comic strips to take home, so bring along some pens and paper and be prepared to amaze yourself!
Suitable for ages 7+
 
Sunday 6th September

2pm – 3pm: Anthony Riches Author Talk - Thunder of the Gods

There are few Roman fiction fans who haven’t yet fallen under the spell of Centurion Marcus Aquila, the tough and wily Tungrian officer whose exploits in the far reaches of 2nd century Rome’s empire have become the stuff of reading legend.
Thunder of the Gods is the eight book in this pulsating series which has taken us from the wilds of Hadrian’s Wall to Germania and Dacia, into a nest of vipers in Rome itself and now deep into the dangerous heart of the Parthian empire.
Military historian Riches has made it his business to reveal not just the grim everyday realities of Roman soldiers’ lives but to conjure up the perilous political and military world which these awesome fighting men inhabited.  And his latest brutal, breathtaking thriller is a rip-roaring triumph as the now familiar and much-loved band of brothers take on one of their most murderous and exhilarating missions yet against a cunning and inventive military fighting machine.
 

The full Hadrian's Wall Live programme includes:

Thurs 3 Sept:Harry Sidebottom Author Talk & Q&A, Chesters Roman Fort

Fri 4 Sept:Anthony Everitt Author Talk, Q&A and Roman Quiz, Chesters Roman Fort

Sat 5 Sept:Night Time Patrol, Housesteads Roman Fort

Sat 5 Sept: Magna Laughter, an evening of Stand Up Comedy, Chesters Roman Fort

Sat 5 & Sun 6 Sept: The Big Roman Soldier Event, Birdoswald Roman Fort

Sat 5 & Sun 6 Sept:Chesters Revealed, Chesters Roman Fort

Sat 5 & Sun 6 Sept: Tales from the Wall, Housesteads Roman Fort

Sat 5 & Sun 6 Sept: Gladiatorial Life & Times, Corbridge Roman Town

To purchase one ticket to all of the above day-time events, please buy a 'Hadrian's Wall Live - Weekend Pass' here.