Gilsland Lantern Parade 2025

About the Project

The Gilsland Lantern Parade took place in winter 2025, bringing together creativity, heritage, and community spirit. The project celebrated the stories of Hadrian’s Wall and the rich heritage of the surrounding landscape through a series of free, family-friendly workshops, where participants designed and created lanterns of all shapes and sizes.

In the weeks leading up to the parade, guided walks and creative sessions were delivered at key heritage sites including Birdoswald, Harrows Scar Milecastle, and Willowford Roman Bridge. These were led by a visitor guide and combined historical exploration with hands-on lantern-making. Participants gained a deeper connection to the local landscape while contributing creatively to the parade.

On Saturday 6th December 2025, the parade gathered at Gilsland CofE Primary School and processed through the village. The festivities culminated in a festive celebration with festive songs and a Christmas Market. 

Following the parade, the lanterns were installed in Gilsland Methodist Church, creating a glowing display that remained in place over the festive period enjoyed by the community. This extended the impact of the event and provided a lasting visual celebration of community creativity and local heritage for residents and visitors alike.

Local people of all ages from Gilsland and the surrounding villages were invited to take part in the project. Participants engaged through lantern making, heritage walks, music, and performance, contributing to a shared community experience.

All activities were offered free of charge, with no prior experience required.

Workshops & Activities

Gilsland Village Youth Club – Gilsland Village Hall

For children and young people aged 7+ years

Half Term Activity Session

Wednesday 29th October, 9.30am – 12.30pm 

Participants began with a guided visit to Poltross Burn Milecastle, led by Catherine Jarvis (Handy Histories), before returning to the Village Hall for refreshments and a lantern design making session led by artists Amanda Drago & Donna Campbell. During the session, the group were asked to use the guided visit as inspiration for their  centre piece lantern designs. Designs were chosen collectively by the group and began construction.

Regular Monday Sessions

Mondays: 3rd, 10th, 17th, 24th November & 1st December, 6.00 – 7.30pm 

Young people worked collaboratively with Amanda Drago to construct, paper, and rehearse carrying their lanterns as part of the parade. They worked specifically on the Eagle and Horses head lanterns.

Community Guided Tour – Birdoswald, Harrows Scar Milecastle & Willowford Bridge

Suitable for all ages.

Saturday 15th November, 10.00am – 12.30pm 

Community participants joined Catherine Jarvis (Handy Histories) for a guided walk exploring Hadrian’s Wall, specifically Birdoswald, Harrows Scar Milecastle & Willowford Roman Bridge. Following the walk, the group returned to Gilsland Village Hall for refreshments and creative sessions with willow artists, Amanda Drago & Donna Campbell where community Sun lantern was designed and individual lanterns were made to carry in the parade.

Community Lantern Making Weekend – The Threshing Barn

Suitable for all ages.

Saturday 22nd & Sunday 23rd November, 10.00–12.30pm / 1.30–4.00pm

A weekend of open, drop-in sessions welcomed individuals and families to take part at their own pace. Facilitated by Amanda Drago, participants contributed to papering the large Sun lantern and / or crafted their own smaller lanterns for the parade. The flexible format encouraged broad participation across age groups.

Gilsland & Walton & Lees Hill CofE Primary Schools

Monday 24th November, 12.45pm – 3.15pm

Pupil numbers are low at both of these rural schools and they bring the children together on a Monday afternoon to do curricular activities that are delivered by external teachers or facilitators. We added an additional session lantern making sessions with all the children in both schools. The lanterns were kept at the school and picked up before the lantern parade.

Zig Zag Days – The Threshing Barn

Friday 28th November, 10.30am – 3.00pm

A closed session was delivered for Zig Zag Days participants, focusing on papering the large sun lantern and creating smaller lanterns to carry during the parade.

The Lantern Parade

Saturday 6th December 2025, from 3.30pm

The Lantern Parade brought the project to a celebratory close, transforming the village into a glowing procession of light, music, and shared experience.

3.30pm – Gathering at Gilsland CofE Primary School

Participants gathered in the school playground to collect lanterns before setting off. Small lanterns were distributed to participants from the community workshops, along with children from Gilsland CofE Primary School and Walton & Lees Hill Primary Schools. The three large centrepiece lanterns were also prepared for the procession.

The Parade Route

The procession was led by musicians Kit Haigh and Pete Tanton (House of the Black Gardenia), who set a steady and inclusive pace. The route followed the pavement towards House of Meg Café, with marshals from all three Parish Councils assisting along the route and the crossing of the road near to Gilsland Methodist Church.

4.15pm – Festive Music in the Church

The weather was wet and earlier in the week there had been high winds. The decision was made in the morning that the parade would go ahead however as identified in our risk assessment if the weather was inclement then activities that were to happen outside would take part inside the church. 

On arrival, the centrepiece lanterns were installed in the Gilsland Methodist Church. Seasonal music was performed by Lindsay Hannon and Kit Haigh, creating a warm and celebratory atmosphere as visitors explored the illuminated lantern display.

The lanterns remained on display following the event until Saturday 2nd January and were on show for the public during the church services, the carol concert and coffee mornings.  

House of Meg Christmas Market (4.00–7.00pm)

The parade coincided with the House of Meg Christmas Market, offering:

• Local traders with gifts and crafts

• Pizza from the Milecastle Inn oven

• Festive food and drink from House of Meg

Funders & Partners

This year’s Gilsland Village Lantern Parade is proudly supported by English Heritage’s Community Connections grants, with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.

The project is a true community collaboration, delivered in partnership with House of Meg Café, Gilsland C of E Primary School, and supported by the Thirlwall, Upper Denton, and Waterhead Parish Councils.