Features

An archaeologist, broadcaster and writer, Julian Richards is best known for his BBC2 series 'Meet the Ancestors' and for 'Mapping the Town' on BBC Radio 4.

In recent years he has been drawn to Hadrian's Wall, Britain's lasting monument to Roman military engineering. In January 2007 Julian presented a ‘Timewatch' programme on the Wall and is writing a book on the subject for English Heritage.

"What is so fascinating about the Wall is not just the sheer scale of its construction and what it represented to people on either side of its divide," says Julian.

"It's the lives of the people who lived there, whether the Roman military or the 'wretched little Brits' that they referred to in their letters.

"Hadrian's Wall is a potent symbol of Roman power; its subsequent neglect and ruin an equally potent symbol of the end of empire."

Pre-booking is recommended by the society, who say tickets are selling fast.