Voices from the Wall: Community Stories in Sound.

Voices From The Wall - Community Stories In Sound

Voices from the Wall is a new immersive sound walk that brings the landscape and history of Hadrian’s Wall to life through story, voice, and sound.

Created in collaboration with local writers, performers, artists, and the community, the project offers a powerful new way to experience the Wall — not just as a monument, but as a place shaped by human lives, memories, fears, hopes, and everyday stories across centuries.

Using the free Echoes app, visitors can explore key sites around Gilsland while listening to original audio works that blend narrative, poetry, field recordings, and sound design. Each piece is geolocated, meaning the stories unfold in the very landscapes that inspired them — creating a deeply atmospheric and personal experience of the place.

From Roman soldiers and families, to medieval villagers, border reivers, and early walkers of the Wall, the voices you hear span time and perspective, connecting past and present through shared human experience.

The Works

Fiona Bullock — The Song of Brutus Brutus, a Roman auxiliary shield maker nearing the end of his 25 years’ service, sits outside the south gate of Harrows Scar Milecastle, reflecting on his life, labour, and identity.

Steve Rozario — Triptych A set of three interconnected poems inspired by the stone of Hadrian’s Wall. Structured as a Roman writing tablet, each piece begins with the Rational Scientist and is interrupted by the Spirit of Meg, who summons voices from the landscape.

Jill Eastlake — Living on the Edge: No Place for a Woman A young woman gathering herbs near Poltross Burn in 1450 encounters the sudden terror of approaching Reivers, capturing fear, vulnerability, and survival on the frontier.

Liam McNulty — A Tale from the Wou A young man recounts battling thick fog, superstition, and fear as he attempts to rescue a cow from the Wou — a glacial bog on Thirlwall Common.

Nicola Daley — Claudia’s Lament Claudia, the common-law wife of a Roman cavalryman, travels from the vicus at Banna (Birdoswald) to visit his unit before it heads north through Poltross Burn Milecastle.

Malcolm Redman — William Hutton A reflective piece imagining the thoughts of William Hutton after a long day’s walking — the first recorded person to walk the length of Hadrian’s Wall.

Caroline Steven — Blood & Fire Agnes Tweddle, c.1610, living at Harrows Scar, finds a broken statue of Silvanus beside the old south gate. The damaged figure triggers memories of a childhood Reiver raid and a recurring nightmare.

Debra Thompson — Pilum Murale A poetic journey following a Roman artefact through time, dedicated to Brenda Swinbank, who found the first Pilum Murale on Hadrian’s Wall in 1951.

How the project was made

Voices from the Wall was created through a collaborative process that placed community participation, shared learning, and creativity at the heart of the project. From the very beginning, local people were actively involved in exploring the landscape, researching history, developing stories, and shaping the final sound walk experience. The project ran from November 2025 - March 2026.

Site Visits & Shared Research

The project began in November with community site visits and guided heritage walks, including a journey from Birdoswald to Willowford Bridge led by tour guide Catherine Jarvis (Handy Histories). Participants explored Hadrian’s Wall in their local landscape, learning about its history, stories, and significance. These shared experiences grounded the project in place-based understanding and collective discovery.

Creative Writing & Script Development

During January and February, a community creative writing group was formed and led by writer Susannah Ronnie at The Threshing Barn. Through a series of weekly workshops, participants developed characters, narratives, and dramatic ideas inspired by the sites and their research. Working collaboratively, the group created original scripts that would become the foundation of the sound walk, transforming history and landscape into storytelling and interpretation.

Recording & Sound Design

The completed scripts were recorded with a community cast, embedding local voices at the heart of the project. Sound artist Kit Haigh worked with original field recordings captured on-site — including natural environmental sounds — to create a rich, immersive audio landscape. Dialogue, music, and sound design were layered together to form a powerful, place-responsive listening experience.

Digital Sound Walk Creation

The finished audio works were uploaded to the Echoes app, creating a geolocated sound walk that allows listeners to experience the stories in the very landscapes that inspired them.

Public Launch

Voices from the Wall launched on Friday 6th March with an special event at Birdoswald Roman Fort. The free public sound walk, invites visitors and local residents to explore Hadrian’s Wall through community voices, stories, and sound.

Funders & Partners

Echos From The Wall: Community Stories In Sound is supported by English Heritage’s Community Connections grants, with funding from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.