Morag Myerscough said: "The moment I saw Housesteads and started walking around the fort I had an overwhelming feeling of wanting to make an installation there. I stood in the remains of the north gatehouse and I looked at the wilderness that appeared to be unchanged since Roman times and I knew immediately that was the place. "It was so important to me, and to English Heritage, that the work was a collaboration with the local community and that it relates to the people it is for. The whole work has been created and made with the local community, we have made it together."

English Heritage’s Chief Executive Kate Mavor, said: "Hadrian’s Wall is one of England’s most iconic landmarks and to mark its anniversary, we wanted a meaningful way to connect people of 2022 back to AD122. We hope that placing such a bold contemporary art installation in this ancient landscape will not only capture people’s imagination but maybe also challenge their ideas of what the Wall was for. Not just a means to keep people out, but a frontier that people could – and did – cross. To create this work we’ve engaged with a wide range of community groups who have all played a part in making this such a striking and vibrant piece of art…and living history."

The brightly coloured wooden placards that comprise the outer shell of the artwork, over a largescale scaffold frame, were designed in response to the collection of Roman artefacts on display at Chesters Roman Fort Museum, Roman designs and community workshops. The words and phrases seen across the installation come from Morag’s collaboration with poet, Ellen Moran and the local community through workshops where volunteers also helped to paint the placards, following the artist’s designs.

Commissioner
English Heritage

Supported by
The National Lottery Heritage Fund
and National Lottery players
for making this project possible

Curator
Penny Sexton Arts Curator
Mark Douglas Senior Properties Curator (north)

Location
Houseteads 
Near, Hexham NE47 6NN

Scaffolding and Construction
Ryan Jewell
Jewills Ltd

Trevor Croft
Adept Carpentry and Building services

Painting
Morag Myerscough and painting team
Hadrians's wall community

Photographers
Gareth Gardner
Chris Ison

Temporary Installation

Completion date and duration
July 2022 to October 2022