Carlisle museum carries UNESCO World Heritage emblem recognising Hadrian Wall collections

A Carlise museum has announced that it is the first organisation along with Hadrian’s Wall to visibly carry the UNESCO World Heritage emblem.

The collections at the Tullie House Museum and Art Gallery have been recognised for their importance in promoting Hadrian’s Wall.

Andrew Mackay, Tullie House Museum Director said: “It is easy to forget that Hadrian’s Wall is just as important as places like the Taj Mahal or the Great Wall of China.

"Hopefully, the UNESCO emblem will go some way towards reminding people of the rich heritage on their doorstep.”

A significant amount of the Roman archaeology held by the museum is from Hadrian’s Wall, the forts, milecastles and the surrounding settlements.

The museum also hosts two permanent galleries devoted to explaining what life was like in the far northwestern edge of the Roman Empire.

Professor Peter Stone, UNESCO Chair in Cultural Property Protection and Peace at Newcastle University said: “The World Heritage designation is not given lightly and is seen as a statement of a site’s universal value to all people. 

"Displaying the UNESCO emblem signals to visitors - especially international visitors - that Tullie House plays an important role in promoting world heritage and UNESCO’s primary mission to encourage peace through understanding and promoting the world’s diverse cultures.”

Hadrian’s Wall is a part of the frontier of a great empire that encompassed much of Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

The Wall was inscribed as a World Heritage Site in 1987. 

Jane, Lady Gibson, Chair of the Hadrian’s Wall Partnership Board, said: “We have one of the world’s most famous landmarks in our fields, villages, towns and cities. We should all be very proud to have such a strong heritage and grateful that we have organisations like Tullie House Museum there to safeguard many precious artefacts for future generations.”