Both important to the region's economy, both colossal in size and both built to withstand the test of time, AkzoNobel's state-of-the-art paint factory in Ashington has more in common with Hadrian's Wall World Heritage Site than you might at first think.
As part of its innovative partnership with Northumberland National Park Authority, staff from AkzoNobel have been completing restoration work along the Hadrian’s Wall Path National Trail to help improve access so more visitors can enjoy the region’s historical treasure.
Groups of volunteers have been giving up their weekends and hours during the week to clear the Trail path and lift and re-lay a number of the flagstones so they are safer and easier for people to walk on. They have also got hands-on with some general landscaping and labour, building steps into the hillside so that it’s safer for visitors to access some of the more rolling landscapes.
“This is the second big piece of project work that we have gotten involved with since we launched our partnership with Northumberland National Park,” said Jeff Hope, head of manufacturing unit at AkzoNobel Ashington.
“Hadrian’s Wall is an incredible piece of architecture and we are very fortunate to have it right here on our doorstep. The team at AkzoNobel is delighted to be able to help out in any way that we can with the conservation of this fantastic ancient monument.
“We were really keen to get stuck into a few more demanding projects”, added Andy Darling, maintenance engineer at AkzoNobel Ashington.
“It was great to work alongside the Ranger team from the National Park and it makes me proud knowing that it was AkzoNobel that completed the work each time I’m out walking in the area.”
Pre-dating AkzoNobel by some 2,000 years, Hadrian’s Wall marks the northernmost perimeter of the Roman Empire. Stretching for 73 miles across Northern England and taking 14 years to complete, the Wall was granted UNESCO World Heritage status in 1987. The National Trail follows the line of the Wall across the landscape from Bowness-on-Solway on the West coast to Wallsend in the East.
