Northumberland's epic landscapes have inspired many a writer and have provided the backdrop for countless memorable TV & film scenes, including Sycamore Gap in Robin Hood: Prince of Thieves and Alnwick Castle as Hogwarts in the first two Harry Potter films.

Now, it emerges that the inspiration for The Wall, an integral part of the best-selling books by George RR Martin, was none other than Hadrian's Wall.

In an interview with Rolling Stone magazine, Martin said “The Wall predates anything else. I can trace back the inspiration for that to 1981. I was in England visiting a friend, and as we approached the border of England and Scotland, we stopped to see Hadrian's Wall. I stood up there and I tried to imagine what it was like to be a Roman legionary, standing on this wall, looking at these distant hills. It was a very profound feeling. For the Romans at that time, this was the end of civilization; it was the end of the world. We know that there were Scots beyond the hills, but they didn't know that. It could have been any kind of monster. It was the sense of this barrier against dark forces – it planted something in me. But when you write fantasy, everything is bigger and more colorful, so I took the Wall and made it three times as long and 700 feet high, and made it out of ice.”

The best-preserved frontier of the Roman Empire and the nation's finest Roman monument, great stretches of Hadrian's Wall remain intact in Northumberland. The Wall and surrounding Northumbrian countryside is scattered with Roman forts, milecastles, and temples to explore, with archaeological sites and museums along the Wall telling the epic story of Rome's rise and fall. You can take to the stunning landscape of Hadrian's Wall Country by foot or bike and enjoy dramatic views unchanged since Roman times.

Jude Leitch, general manager of Northumberland Tourism said; “Both the books and the TV series 'Game of Thrones' have been a massive success, so it is thrilling to know that the first seed of inspiration for the story originated in Northumberland. Fans of the programme can come and experience how George RR Martin felt – the profound sense of enormity and fear of the unknown that Roman centurions faced every day, not knowing what lay beyond the Wall.”

For tourist information about Hadrian's Wall go to: http://bit.ly/1klNCH1  

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Image attached: free to use

Notes to Editors:

Northumberland Tourism is the official destination-marketing organisation for Northumberland.

Northumberland Tourism is the voice of tourism in Northumberland working with businesses and public agencies to achieve the vision for Northumberland, to promote the area and ensure visitors have the best possible experience.
www.visitnorthumberland.com

Free images are available for download from www.marketingnorthumberland.com

Press trips and competition prizes are available – please contact Natalie Wood:

Natalie.wood@northumberlandtourism.co.uk  
Tel: 01670 794520

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