Allan Barnfather

Mixed Garrisons, Research for Hadrian Wall 1900 – I was intrigued by the diversity of peoples representing the whole of the Roman Empire, that were assigned to Hadrian’s Wall including Dalmatians mountain soldiers, Tungrians from Belgium, Batavans from Holland, Spanish Cavalry, also Bargmen from Tigris which were more familiar with a Continental Sub Tropical climate.

It must have been quite a shock adapting to such a bleak environment on this narrow strip of land, the most northerly part of the Roman Empire. Medium- Linocut can achieve many different textures, I wanted to convey the elements of the landscape including the harsh winds occasionally experienced around Sycamore Gap/Hadrian’s Wall My inspiration.

A line from the poem “Sycamore Gap” by Zoe Mitchell gave me my core idea – “I’m a survivor said the Tree to The Wall” ….. I could see a correlation of the Sycamore Tree surviving adverse weather conditions & climate change, with the past generations of people living throughout the Roman occupation of Hadrian’s Wall.